With two distilleries, the EU now formally recognises Wales as a whisky-producing country.

Our Celtic cousins have distilled whisky in Wales since the middle ages, but not continuously.

The late 19th Century temperance movement opposed the demon alcohol, and whisky production ended in 1910 when the Welsh Whisky Distillery Company closed its doors for the last time.

In 1915, in an attempt to reduce the impact of alcohol on the war effort, the then Chancellor Lloyd George's Immature Spirits Act stipulated that whisky must be matured for at least three years.

It led to the drink's reputation as a premium product, and the irony of a Welshman boosting the Scotch whisky industry.

Welsh whisky wasn't produced again for almost 100 years until the Penderyn Distillery in the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales released its first batch on St David's Day 2004, exactly 13 years ago.

It's gone on to be a multi-award-winning product, with a bit of Scottish help including a still from the McMillan company in Prestonpans in East Lothian.

Penderyn's Sian Whitelock says they've learned plenty of good practice from the industry in Scotland in areas such as sourcing the best barley and barrels.

The company's Jon Tregenna says the learning experiences are going both ways.

"We have no plans to be releasing a 12-year, or a 15-year, or an 18-year," he said. "There is a rise in non-age statement whiskies and some Scottish distilleries are making advances in that direction as well, realising that out of this fashion maybe the old 12, 18, 25 might start to change a bit over the years."

The company is planning a second distillery in two years' time, its copper stills to be located appropriately enough in the area of Swansea nicknamed Copperopolis from when the ready supply of coal for energy made it the epicentre of the world's copper industry.

Penderyn is also aiming for a third distillery at a yet to be disclosed location in North Wales, while another firm Halewood International has also submitted plans for another whisky distillery also in the north near Bangor.

Read more at source: BBC