Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is an alcoholic beverage distilled from grain, often including malt, which has then been aged in wooden barrels. The spelling "Whisky" is generally used for those distilled in Scotland and Canada, while "whiskey" (with an "e") is used for the spirits distilled in the United States and Ireland, but there are exceptions. The Welsh version is wysgi. The name evolved from the Gaelic uisge beatha (water of life). (Other countries also have their own "water of life": see the Danish Akvavit, derived from the Latin aqua vitae.)
Whisky is drunk straight, with water or ice, or mixed with other spirits.
Whisky is sold in several styles. Malt whisky consists of whisky made from 100 percent malted grain, and malt whisky from one distillery, rather than blended, is called single malt. The grains used to make malt whisky include barley in Scotland, Ireland, and Canada; and rye in Canada and the United States. Pure pot still whiskey is made in Ireland from a combination of malted and unmalted barley. Various types of straight whiskey are produced in the U.S. which are aged in new, charred, oak barrels. Blended whisky is made from a combination of any of the above whiskies with the similar grain whisky or neutral grain spirits, which are much less expensive to produce than the other types of whisky.
See also
Whiskey is also the letter W in the NATO phonetic alphabet
Referenced By
Alcoholic beverage | Alcoholic beverages | Alcoholic drink | Booze | Glenlivet Single Malt | Spirits
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