Spring Break
There's Something About Whiskey
Timothy Bleasdale
Issue date: 2/7/08 Section: Focus
Ask someone to think about old-time America and once they get past tea parties in Boston harbor, cherry trees in Virginia and the wonders of President Franklin Pierce, hopefully they'll land somewhere in the Old West. If not, tell them to think about Clint Eastwood.
Okay, so stay with me here. We're imagining Clint Eastwood riding into town chasing after some crazy bandit that just robbed the Wells Fargo stagecoach, gunning down a couple of Pinkerton detectives in the process. Eastwood, atop his trusty steed, trots down the dusty main drag of town, the occasional tumbleweed rolling across his path, until he draws up in front of the local saloon. The bartender turns his head at the sound of Eastwood's spurs ka-chinking up to the bar. He leans over on the bar, leveling a cold, steely gaze at the bartender and … what does he order?
If you didn't say whiskey, you need to watch more cowboy movies. There's no doubt that of all the libations in the world, there is none more closely associated with the legend of the cowboy than whiskey.
But what's the deal with whiskey anyway? Or is it whisky?
The story of whiskey begins in the northern regions of the British isles - Ireland and Scotland. In fact, this is where the dispute over the spelling of whiskey comes from.
Both the Scots, who named their version whisky, and the Irish, who spell it with an 'e,' claim to be the inventors of this delightful libation. But who was first is truly debatable. According to alcohol aficionado and historian Perry Luntz, all history can tell us is that either Irish sailors introduced whiskey to the Scots through trade or the Scots learned the art of distilling from Christian missionaries and then used it to create whisky.
In America, whiskey is generally spelled with the 'e,' simply because more Irish immigrated to the States than Scots.
Just as there are different ways to spell whiskey, there are lots of different kinds. By far the most American of all these types are Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey. But that's jumping the gun a bit.
Okay, so stay with me here. We're imagining Clint Eastwood riding into town chasing after some crazy bandit that just robbed the Wells Fargo stagecoach, gunning down a couple of Pinkerton detectives in the process. Eastwood, atop his trusty steed, trots down the dusty main drag of town, the occasional tumbleweed rolling across his path, until he draws up in front of the local saloon. The bartender turns his head at the sound of Eastwood's spurs ka-chinking up to the bar. He leans over on the bar, leveling a cold, steely gaze at the bartender and … what does he order?
If you didn't say whiskey, you need to watch more cowboy movies. There's no doubt that of all the libations in the world, there is none more closely associated with the legend of the cowboy than whiskey.
But what's the deal with whiskey anyway? Or is it whisky?
The story of whiskey begins in the northern regions of the British isles - Ireland and Scotland. In fact, this is where the dispute over the spelling of whiskey comes from.
Both the Scots, who named their version whisky, and the Irish, who spell it with an 'e,' claim to be the inventors of this delightful libation. But who was first is truly debatable. According to alcohol aficionado and historian Perry Luntz, all history can tell us is that either Irish sailors introduced whiskey to the Scots through trade or the Scots learned the art of distilling from Christian missionaries and then used it to create whisky.
In America, whiskey is generally spelled with the 'e,' simply because more Irish immigrated to the States than Scots.
Just as there are different ways to spell whiskey, there are lots of different kinds. By far the most American of all these types are Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey. But that's jumping the gun a bit.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Isabelle
posted 2/07/08 @ 9:47 AM EST
Mmm whiskey!
Mike B.
posted 2/07/08 @ 9:58 AM EST
I love Scotch! Scotch, Scotch, Scotch! Scotch goes down, down to my belly! Mmm, mmm, mmm!
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