1. Plural of poteen; illegally distilled Irish whiskey or other spirits, typically made in small quantities.
Usage: informal; chiefly Irish

Examples

• The old farmer was known to produce poteens in his barn during Prohibition.
• Poteens were commonly made in rural Ireland using simple stills and local grains.
• The smugglers were caught transporting bottles of poteens across the border.
• During the 1920s, poteens became a thriving black-market commodity.
• He inherited his grandfather's recipe for making poteens, though it remained illegal.