History Of Scotch Whiskey

Series Summary

The term “whisky” is used to describe a type of alcohol distilled from fermented grain mash and aged in oak casks. “Whiskey” is used to describe Irish whiskey, which must be distilled while “whisky” is used to describe Scotch whisky, which is distilled twice and aged for at least 3 years before being bottled. It is believed that the history of whisky dates back to the 8th century, but the legend of St. Patrick's introduction of the distillation process to Britain puts its origins a few hundred years earlier. American varieties of whiskey include Bourbon, rye whiskey and corn whiskey, and other varieties are produced in Japan, Wales, Canada, and India.

In this free online guide to whiskey you'll learn all about the alcoholic beverage the Irish call “uisce beatha” or “Water of Life.” Expert Patrick McMenamin gives you a history of Scotch whiskies, explains the differences in single malt whiskeys and blended whiskeys, and offers tips on how to read a whisky label to know exactly what you're drinking. He also talks about the most popular brands of whiskies, including the most famous Irish whiskeys. And most importantly, he shows you how to serve whiskey, and what you can mix with it if its deliciously aromatic flavors should overwhelm you.

Video Transcript

"Hello my name is Patrick McMenamin the owner of Caledonia Bar here in Budapest and I'm here this morning on behalf of Expert Village to tell you something about Scottish whiskey and the range of Scottish whiskey we have here at the Caledonia. If you image the Scottish highlands around 500 A D a savagely rough and rustic highlands with water flowing in bodies swirling and the wind. A group of Irish monks then arrived with what they're called a wonderful recipe for turning for what was then very much fermented beer and for what they're called the water of life. The process for doing this was probably already discovered possibly in far East India or even indeed China, but indeed the Irish monks came to Scotland and helped turn what was then very rough fermented oatmeal and drunk as beer and to what we're called today the water of life, which is indeed whiskey. As an English corruption of the ancient name for spirits which is the water of life Scotch means simply that the whiskey was distilled armatured in Scotland, whiskey of course made in other countries in Ireland and Japan and indeed American. Whiskey's may have well be and possibly even good whiskeys but Scotch is always made armatured in Scotland."