Illicit spirit in bottle regularly swigged by writer (6)

I believe the answer is:

poteen

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'illicit spirit' is the definition.
'poteen' can be an answer for 'spirit' (I've seen this before). I'm not certain of the 'illicit' bit.

I don't understand the remainder of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for poteen that I've seen before include "Unlawfully distilled Irish whiskey" , "Illegal spirit distilled from potatoes and other stuff" , "Illegal drink" , "Illicit spirit distilled from potatoes etc" , "illicit booze" .)

I've seen this clue in The Daily Mail.

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