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August 9, 2012

13 Interesting Facts About Whiskey

Thursday Thirteen

During the winter my mind often turns to whiskey. It’s my standby fix for winter ailments. Whenever I get a cold—or sometimes when it’s cold and miserable—hubby will make a hot toddy consisting of whiskey, lemon juice, hot water and honey. Delicious!

Thirteen Factoids About Whiskey

  1. Irish and American whiskey is spelled with an ‘e’ while the Scottish leave the ‘e’ out of their whisky.
  2. Once whiskey is bottled it stops aging or maturing. You might as well drink that bottle because it’s at its peak as soon as you purchase it.
  3. It’s said whiskey was first made in Ireland, although Scotland also makes this claim.
  4. Whiskey is distilled in oak casks. The casks give the drink both its flavor and color.
  5. Whiskey can be made from wheat, barley, corn or rye.
  6. Malt whiskey is made from malted barley.
  7. Whiskey appears in historical records around the 1500s.
  8. It’s said Queen Elizabeth the first liked a tipple of whiskey.
  9. In 1661 excise tax was applied to whiskey, driving production underground.
  10. There are four distinct regions producing whisky in Scotland. The Highlands, The Lowlands, Islay and Campbelltown.
  11. The whisky from each region has a distinctive taste.
  12. Most of the major whisky breweries in Scotland are now owned by international companies.
  13. Mctears Auctions in Glasgow is the most famous auction house for rare bottles of whisky.

Do you like the odd nip of whiskey/whisky? Which brand do you prefer?

23 Comments

  1. Brinda

    These are some very interesting facts. I went to Nashville, TN for a few days and there are a few whiskey distilleries in the area. I didn’t tour. I did visit a bar called Popcorn Sutton’s. He was a Tennessee man who bootlegged his own whiskey and handed out business cards to customers when he was alive.

    • Shelley Munro

      We don’t tend to drink American whiskey. I mean how can we with a good Scottish surname like Munro. I’d be interested in doing a tour though. It’s on our list!

  2. Savannah Chase

    You can never know enough about whiskey. Thank you for posting all those cool facts..

    • Shelley Munro

      LOL – it’s a good cure all.

  3. Carol Kilgore

    I’m more a beer girl. Or wine. I like knowing all these facts, though.

    • Shelley Munro

      Carol, I prefer a nice glass of wine too. The whisky is strictly medicinal.

  4. Alice Audrey

    Ah! So that’s what’s going on with the spelling. I couldn’t figure it out.

    • Shelley Munro

      Obviously, the Irish took whiskey to the US and kept with their spelling.

  5. Denise Hall

    Loved this, although I can’t drink whiskey straight. I make the same hot toddy when I’m sick, too.

    • Shelley Munro

      I have to agree. Straight whisky doesn’t taste good. I have to doctor mine with lemon.

  6. Novroz

    This is a fun and informative read :)
    I never drink whiskey but still enjoy the information. I wonder why Scottish erased the ‘e’ letter

    • Shelley Munro

      I bet they did it to be contrary :)

  7. Angela Brown

    Sometimes the smallest nuggets of information can clear up things we never realized confused us. I just thought whiskey was supposed to be spelled whiskey and that without the “e” was wrong. I stand corrected :-)

    • Shelley Munro

      It was a question in a City & Guilds exam when hubby and I worked in pubs.

      Actually, Americans tend to spell Munro with an e on the end. You guys have an e fixation. LOL

  8. Mia Celeste

    Interesting post. I’m don’t drink much, but a tipple of whiskey sounds intriguing–who knows–I could be like the queen and develop a taste for it. :)

    • Shelley Munro

      The queen liked sugar too. That was a fact in one of my previous TTs. She had lots of bad habits. :)

  9. Maria Zannini

    Yay. I finally got in.

    #2 was new to me. I didn’t know that before. Thank you.

    • Shelley Munro

      Interesting, no? A lot of people don’t know about the aging. It’s only while it’s in the barrels.

  10. Jenny Schwartz

    Whiskey! Yum.

    I don’t drink much, but whiskey is a favourite. Johnny Walker Black Label. I like it with a bit of water. Nice added to coffee, too.

    Now vodka…I don’t get the appeal of vodka.

  11. Amy Gallow

    I still celebrate the release of each book with a double nip of 25 year old Scotch whisky. Although I can’t quite follow the ancient recommendation of holding it in my mouth for a second for each year of aging, I do sit there and let it dwell for some time.
    I’ve sampled many whisky/whiskeys over my years at sea and have soft spots for both Bushmills and Wild Turkey, but my current tipple was brought home for me from Scotland, a single malt from the home distilery of my Highland Clan. (one of three that I have discovered direct links to – I suppose that makes me a blended Scot. Like many whiskys.)

  12. Mary Kirkland

    I don’t drink at all. I have tried a few drinks including whiskey and rum and vodka…but they all give me a headache and I’m a belligerent drunk,..LOL

  13. sandra cox

    When I was growing up, my grandfather had a hot toddy for his cold ‘every night.’ grin.

  14. Heather

    Interesting post, Shelley, though I can’t say I’ve ever been a fan of whiskey (or hard liquor in general).