Some Fun Facts About Whiskey

Whisky and Whiskey are different; the former refers to Scottish brands only, whereas the latter refers to any barley-based alcohol. The fun fact is that Scots believe that more vowels waste good drinking time therefore they avoided “e” in Whisky. Here are some other fun facts about whiskey that you might not know.

Whiskey is Beer

Whisky is actually beer, which is distilled 2-3 times. Beer is the technical term for whiskey wash, irrespective of the raw ingredient used.

Drink of Angels

“Angels Tax” or “Angels Share” is a term used for the 4% whiskey evaporating from the barrel every year.

Tastes like Burnt Ass

There is a Scottish legend, which says that some whiskeys contain chemicals that could only be identified by a few people. If you were one among the few, it would taste like burnt ass.

Don’t Add Ice

While adding ice to whiskey, the flavor gets dull and the temperature of the alcohol gets lowered too much – it freezes of aroma and inhibits the flavor. It is better to add a drop-small splash of water to the drink to prevent the alcohol content from numbing your senses.

Whiskey Lighting

According to another Scottish legend, people used to light a little Scotch whisky earlier in order to determine the percentage of alcohol in it. The color of the flames gives an approximation of the alcohol content in the drink. It is said that if it burnt too hot, the distilleries sold the drink cheaply among its workers.

The Whiskey Rebellion

An uprising occurred in Pennsylvania after Alexander Hamilton started taxing whiskey during 1791. Both Irish and Scottish settlers hated it, and riots broke out against the ruling in 1794. George Washington, who was the US President during that time, sent troops to control the riots. Hamilton’s tax was canceled in 1802.

The Whiskey Regions

There are 5-7 different main regions where whiskey is usually distilled. The main five regional whiskeys are Irish Whiskey, Scotch Whisky, Kentucky (Bourbon), Tennessee Whiskey, and Canadian Whiskey. The other two regions are New Zealand and Japan.

Debate for Origin

The first whiskey was arguably created by Irish Monks. Irish whiskey is triple distilled using pure malted barley. They are dried in closed ovens, and unlike other versions, they are not exposed to smoke. Scots always debated that they were the first to create whisky, but there has not been any mention of the same in historical records before the union.