Every weekend, usually more frequently than that, our friend and confidant. It makes no difference whether you’re cheerful or dejected; whisky is the drink for every mood. It’s been around for centuries, enticing successive generations to get drunk. There’s no doubt that it has fueled many of those wild screaming nights! Whisky maybe your closest friend or your most dangerous adversary, but you’re always drawn to the flavour and scent it entails. You’ve already learned these facts. Here are a few that you may not have known:
Story Stages
Beer is a precursor to whisky
In a sense, this is a delicious true tale. Whisky is produced from ‘wort,’ which is the fermented ‘beer’ that has been distilled. In fact, the wort is made up of all of the ingredients found in a chilled beer glass – water, yeast, and malts.
Whisky translates to ‘water of life’
Whisky is derived from the Gaelic term uisge beatha, which means “water of life.” It was later Anglicized to uski, which became whisky. We don’t have to tell you anymore?
Whisky starts at 40%
Scotch whisky must be bottled at a strength of 40% ABV, which implies that life truly begins at 40 for this magnificent beverage. Whiskies can range in strength from 50% to 60% ABV. Take a bottle and some of your favourite whiskey glasses, but remember to check the label to see how much you can drink.
The Angels share
Each year, about 2% of whisky evaporates from the barrels. This is often known as the angel’s share and has a lot to do with customs in certain locations.
George Washington absolutely loved whisky
This individual also had a skin in the whiskey business! A lot of skin, to be precise. George established a whisky distillery and became the country’s largest whisky producer by 1799. The combination of his love for cannabis and his ability to get the party started is clear. We know that Georgie was one individual who could always get a party started!
Whisky needs three years to mature
After a minimum of three years of maturation, Scottish whisky may be referred to as scotch. Some distilleries maintain casks of whisky that are 70 or more years old.
No one knows who produced whisky for the first time
Nobody knows who the first person was to figure out how to create this wonderful drink. It’s thought that monks created whisky as a holy spirit, so it may be considered holy. Ha! Holy SPIRIT. But everything changed when King Henry VIII abolished all of the monasteries where wine was being consumed. Oh, poor starving monks!
Jack Daniels isn’t a Bourbon
This is a widespread misconception. Tennessee whiskey, not bourbon, is represented by the strong scent and long-lasting taste of JD.
The name “mountain dew” comes from the original use of the product as a chaser for whisky
Barney and Ally Hartman were just a pair of bros looking to get their alcohol on, so they came up with Mountain Dew. Yahoo was not involved in the creation of the tagline at all. The original slogan was “Yahoo Mountain Dew, it’ll tickle your innards.” That really was the slogan!
The oldest whisky is over 160 years old
Glenavon Special Liqueur Whisky boasts the Guinness World Record for being the World’s Oldest Whiskey. It is said to have been produced between 1851 and 1858, when it was owned by an Irish family before being sold at Bonhams in London for £14,850.
