My friends,
I had not intended to discuss this controversial subject at this particular time. However, I want you to know that I do not shun controversy. On the contrary, I will take a stand on any issue at any time, regardless of how fraught with controversy it might be. You have asked me how I feel about whiskey. All right, here is how I feel about whiskey.
If you mean whiskey, the devil's brew, the poison scourge, the bloody monster that defiles innocence, dethrones reason, destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, yea, literally takes the bread from the mouths of little children; if you mean that evil drink that topples Christian men and women from the pinnacles of righteous and gracious living into the bottomless pits of degradation, shame, despair, helplessness, and hopelessness, then, my friend, I am opposed to it with every fiber of my being.
However, if by whiskey you mean the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the elixir of life, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get together, that puts a song in their hearts and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you mean Christmas cheer, the stimulating sip that puts a little spring in the step of an elderly gentleman on a frosty morning; if you mean that drink that enables man to magnify his joy, and to forget life's great tragedies and heartbreaks and sorrow; if you mean that drink the sale of which pours into our treasuries untold millions of dollars each year, that provides tender care for our little crippled children, our blind, our deaf, our dumb, our pitifully aged and infirm, to build the finest highways, hospitals, universities, and community colleges in this nation, then my friend, I am absolutely, unequivocally in favor of it. This is my position, and as always, I refuse to be compromised on matters of principle.
--Noah S. "Soggy" Sweat, Jr, 1952, The "Whiskey Speech"
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There's whisky and there's good whisky, but there is no bad whisky. - old Scottish saying
Whiskey is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from grains, oats, or other grasses such as barley, rye, wheat, and corn (yes, corn is a grass). It typically contains about 40-50% alcohol by volume (80-100 proof). The word "whiskey" is a shortened form of the English word, usquebaugh - which itself was a mispronunciation of the Gaelic words uisce or uisge meaning "water"; and beatha, meaning "of life". This is why whiskey is sometimes referred to as the "water of life". A common saying is that "the Irish invented whiskey, but the Scottish perfected it."
Let's not fight about spelling. In the United States and Ireland it is spelled whiskey (plural: whiskeys) while in Scotland and Canada it is called whisky (plural: whiskies). These four countries are the major whiskey producers in the world - your country might have its own spelling or translation. I have used the most appropriate word (or both words) based on the context throughout this writeup. Where context did not require one or the other, I defaulted to the American spelling (with the 'e') because, hey, E2 is in the US.
Basically whiskey is to beer or ale as brandy is to wine. Instead of taking grains and simply fermenting them (which makes beer), the fermented liquid is distilled creating a liquor instead. Obviously this is a gross oversimplification of the whiskey-making process, but that is the general idea. The result is often drunk straight, with water, or mixed with other drinks/cocktails.
Grain Whiskey / Grain Whisky - whiskey made from unmalted grain. It typically is lower quality and less flavorful, but much cheaper to produce. It is often produced simply to be later mixed with a malt whiskey.
Blended Whiskey / Blended Whisky - the most common whiskeys are blended. This means they are the combination of the more high quality malted whiskeys and the cheaply produced grain whiskeys.
Bourbon / Kentucky Whiskey - made from corn. Commonly produced in the United States, the name comes from Bourbon County, Kentucky where it became popular around the American Revolution. Nearly all of the world's bourbon comes from Kentucky; however there is no requirement that it must. Most moonshine is a form of bourbon.
Canadian Whisky - made of a mix of rye, corn, wheat, and barley. By law (yes, Canadian law says so) it must be aged for a minimum of 3 years in a barrel.
Irish Whiskey - made primarily from barley, but often contains other grains. Irish whiskey is believed to be one of the earliest distilled beverages in Europe. It is most often distilled three times which is the main difference from Scotch.
Rye / Rye Whiskey / Rye Whisky - as the name implies, it is made from rye grains.
Scotch / Scottish Whisky - made from barley. Similar to rules around Champagne, International Law prohibits any product from calling itself Scotch unless it is from Scotland even if the same ingredients and distilling process are used. Scotch is distilled twice which is the main difference from Irish whiskey.
Tennessee Whiskey - Very similar to Bourbon, however it also goes through the Lincoln County Process of filtering the whiskey through a 10 foot layer of maple charcoal which gives it a distinctive flavor. See Jack Daniel's.
View more writeups about Whiskey or Whisky
1 The main ingredient of these whiskey's are included. In most cases, only 51% (a majority) of the primary ingredient must be used to be able to call it one of these specific names. For example, Bourbon must be made from at least 51% corn though it is often much more.
"Whiskey" also represents the letter W in the phonetic alphabet.
Whis"key (?), n.
Same as Whisky, a liquor.
© Webster 1913.
Whis"key, Whis"ky, n.; pl. Whiskeys (#) or Whiskies. [See Whisk, v. t. & n.]
A light carriage built for rapid motion; -- called also tim-whiskey.
Whis"ky, Whis"key (?), n. [Ir. or Gael. uisge water (perhaps akin to E. wash, water) in uisgebeatha whiskey, properly, water of life. Cf. Usquebaugh.]
An intoxicating liquor distilled from grain, potatoes, etc., especially in Scotland, Ireland, and the United States. In the United States, whisky is generally distilled from maize, rye, or wheat, but in Scotland and Ireland it is often made from malted barley.
Bourbon whisky, corn whisky made in Bourbon County, Kentucky. -- Crooked whisky. See under Crooked. -- Whisky Jack Zool., the Canada jay (Perisoreus Canadensis). It is noted for its fearless and familiar habits when it frequents the camps of lumbermen in the winter season. Its color is dull grayish blue, lighter beneath. Called also moose bird.
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