Irish whiskey is quenching the thirst of Chinese consumers, breathing new life into the industry. The Gaelic term for whiskey, "Uisce beatha," translates to "water of life," reflecting its storied origins in Ireland around 1,000 years ago. Ireland once led the world in whiskey production, boasting at least 28 legal distilleries by the 1890s. However, the failure to modernize allowed Scottish whisky to dominate, leaving only two Irish distilleries standing.