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What Is Whisky?

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Abstract

This chapter presents a brief history of whisky, with a particular emphasis on the events that shaped its flavor and character. This includes technical innovations, but also regulatory policies and the occasional scandal. The historical perspective is relevant to the notion of ‘authenticity:’ what is whisky today in relation to the past? It also helps to understand the politics behind the whisky science publishing boom around the start of the twentieth century: the birth of ‘whisky science.’ The studies at the time were significantly tied to the legal disputes over the meaning the word ‘whisky’ that occurred in both the United Kingdom and in America. The scientists involved frequently testified, and wrote opinions seen to support one side, the other, or both.

I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description, and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But Iknow it when I see it …– Justice Potter Stewart, 1964 (378 U.S. 197)

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Notes

  1. 1.

    According to Forbes [272], Salernus (d. 1167) wrote about alcohol distillation. Fairley [256, 257] and many modern writers say that distilled spirits were found to be widely consumed in Ireland at the time of Henry II’s conquest (1170–1172), according to Campion [143]. However, Campion’s references to excessive drinking are contemporary (1571) and he does not reference distilled spirits at the time of the conquest. Therefore it seems unlikely that distillation was as advanced in Ireland as in Italy at the end of the twelfth century.

  2. 2.

    Corn here means kernel of grain: “This island was reputed very fruitful in corn, until the late years of scarcity and bad Seasons. The Corn sown here is Barley, Oats and Rye; and they have also Flax and Hemp.”

  3. 3.

    Bear, or bere, is a variety of six-rowed barley.

  4. 4.

    Boethius is the Latin name of Hector Boece, p. 4.

  5. 5.

    £1 =  20s =  240d until 1971, then £1 =  100p.

  6. 6.

    One Scottish pint was 3/8 imperial gallon.

  7. 7.

    Six gallons Scots was 17 gallons English.

  8. 8.

    The Economist [29] noted that the Duke of Richmond was known as a fishmonger and called this whisky ad a “flattering increase of business.”

  9. 9.

    The furfuryl aldehyde today named ‘furfural’ was then known as ‘furfurol’ [274], which today implies furfuryl alcohol.

  10. 10.

    ‘Straight’ here means authentic or unadulterated. The term now has a different meaning (see page 40) first introduced in 1936 [824].

  11. 11.

    Distilling seasons were defined to be January to July, and July to January.

  12. 12.

    The summary presented here is based on regulations currently in force. Proposed changes to 27 CFR proposed November 26, 2018 [821] might bring changes.

  13. 13.

    During Prohibition refined sugar was introduced as a mash adjunct to make inexpensive alcohol [199], and today in the US moonshine refers to this Prohibition era liquor. At the time of this quote, however, moonshine whisky referred simply to illicitly distilled whisky.

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  1. University of California, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Davis, CA, USA

    Gregory H. Miller

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Miller, G.H. (2019). What Is Whisky?. In: Whisky Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13732-8_1

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