Ancient whisky

The whisky is a worldwide spirit. From its origin in Scotland and Ireland, his consumption and elaboration have been spread all over the world. The name ‘whisky’ is a corruption of ‘uisgebaugh’, the Gaelic word for water of life. Uisge was corrupted first into ‘usky’, which finally became whisky after several centuries. Monks on the Emerald Isle are said to have been distilling ‘uisege baugh’, as far as the twelve century.

The earliest certain chemical distillations were by Greeks in Alexandria in the 1st century AD but these were not distillations of alcohol. The medieval Arabs adopted the distillation technique of the Alexandrian Greeks, and written records in Arabic begin in the 9th century, but again these were not distillations of alcohol.

The early communication of the Phoenicians with Ireland in all probability introduced the knowledge of distillation into the country.

Originally the pale, strong spirit which were called uisge baugh in the Irish form or uisge beatha by the Gaelic speaking Scots of the Celtic language until 1170. The earliest historical reference to distilling in Scotland appears in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls for 1494, where there is an entry of ‘eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor wherewith to make aquavitae’.
Ancient whisky

Origin of Scotch whisky

Scotch whisky must by law be distilled and aged in Scotland. Scotch whisky translated from Gaelic it means ‘water of life’, though it is believed that knowledge of distilling was gained from the Middle East in the Middle Ages.  ‘Whisky’ without e was a name given to this drink by the English.

The Irish were acknowledged to be skilled barley farmers and brewers of strong ales, the forerunners of stout, possibly as early as 2500 to 2000 BC. They advanced to become avid distillers at the latest by the eleventh or twelve centuries AD.

Though hard evidence does not yet exist, it is likely that the Irish introduced and pioneered the distillation process in Scotland. The earliest direct account of whisky making is found in Scottish records from 1494, as documented in the Exchequer Rolls, which were records of royal income and expenditure.

The distillation of Scotch whisky first flourished on farms and was practiced by farmers as a way of using and preserving surplus grain at quiets moments of the farming cycle.

Distilling knowledge itself arrived on the European continent no sooner than AD 800 to 900. Therefore, the actual transfer from Ireland to Scotland of salient technological information on distilling could not have realistically happened before AD 1100.

Distilling malt whisky dates back to before the 15th century as by then production was well underway in the Highlands.

The Lowlands produced a much milder whisky, and blending the two types started in 1860s.
Origin of Scotch whisky

History of Scotch Whisky

History of Scotch Whisky
Scotch is short for Scottish whisky – although Americans are just about the only people who use the shorted term for whisky made in Scotland. There are a number of categories of Scottish or Scotch whisky:

• Single malt Scotch Whisky
• Single Grain Scotch Whisky
• Blended Scotch Whisky
• Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
• Blended Grain Scotch Whisky

Malt whisky was born well before the fifteenth century, which is the first time Scottish records mention it. An old Scottish says that it was created to reward the Scots for having to endure the cold, wet climate of their homeland.

The earliest evidence of Scottish whiskey is from 1494 – 1495, when Scottish Exchequer Roll included an entry of malt delivered to Friar John Car to make aqua vitae. In 1497, a barber brought a gift of whiskey to King James IV at Dundee. In 1505, the Guild of Surgeon Barbers in Edinburgh was given the monopoly of distilling and selling aqua vitae within the city boundaries. Generally, whisky was used for medicinal purposes. By 1550, however, increasing prosecutions for infringements of the barbers’ privilege suggest that whisky was becoming more popular generally as a beverage.

The 1600s and 1700s were marked by continuous disagreements between distillers and the government over taxation of spirits, and laws were enacted with the intents of putting the smaller home producers out of business. This only ensured a lively smuggling market for their product. Finally in 1823 Scotland’s Parliament enacted more lenient laws.

About 130 years ago a Scotsman named Andrew Usher is credited with being the first to blend malt whisky and grain whisky to reduce its pungency. The grain whiskies are made chiefly from corn (or corn and wheat) and are distilled in column stills at around 180 proof, which is somewhat below neutral spirits but very light in flavor. Malt and grain whiskies are aged separately for several years and then blended, with as many as 30 or 40 (or more) different malt and grain whiskies in a given brand.

Scotch becomes popular in the United States during the Prohibition years, when it was smuggled into the country from Canada, the Caribbean and ships at sea. The earliest brands were dark, peaty, and strong. After the repeal of Prohibition, Scotland’s distillers began tailoring their products to the lighter American palate. Scotch got under another boosts in popularity when American soldiers return from the World War having acquired a taste for it. A light bodied Scotch is not necessarily light colored since all Scotches have caramel added to ensure color uniformity, nor does light body mean low alcohol content. All scotches are bottled at a minimum of 80 proof; most are 86 proof.
History of Scotch Whisky