b'S P I R I T SWhisky Y & B O U R B O NW H I S K E Y , W H I S KFROMTHE BEGINNINGW hilst legend has it that grainsthe rights of distillation to the landedin operation! However, just as Irish were distilled in 13th centuryclasses. In Ireland taxation began adistillers probably introduced us to China, it is widely accepted, thatfew years later in 1661. Whilst thiswhisky, the country also was the first to Ireland was the birthplace of water ofmay have raised some money for theintroduce formal temperance societies; life made from barley.Exchequer it really gave rise to illicitthe establishment of the Ulster distillation. Either distillers made falseTemperance Society in 1818 heralding It is known from anecdotal writingsdeclarations and sold quietly on thea century of rising prohibitionist that whisky played a part in Irelandsside, or more commonly, they simplytendencies which finally lead to the life from the 1400s but the first officialdisappeared into the countryside withVolstead Act in 1920, in the USA. evidence seems to come from a 1556their stills.Act of Parliament: .graine in making ofThe American temperance moves aqua vitae Across the Atlantic, the first wave ofcombined with the development of Americas Scots and Irish immigrantscontinuous distillation and the arrival The first tangible proof of spirit ofalso brought distilling techniquesof the phylloxera outbreak in Europe barley from the Scottish Exchequer(although it is more likely rum was the(which temporarily removed brandy Rolls of 1494 states VIII bolls of maltfirst to be made in America; molassesfrom the market) led to the demand to Friar John Cor wherewith to makebeing brought to New England fromfor whisky rocketing. Irish whiskey aquavitae. John Cor was a monk basedthe Caribbean as part of the tradeproducers prior to this time had been at Lindores Abbey in Fife, which existedtriangle of slaves, molasses and rum)outselling Scotch as they were larger from the late 1100s to 1559. A bolland by the mid 1600s applejack,in number and used unmalted barley was a Scottish measure which wouldpeach brandy and whisky were beingwhich produced a more popular lighter have been the equivalent of just over 5produced along the East Coast. Thesespirit. The Scots took to the new bushels, and this could have producedpioneering colonists soon found that,Cofffey stills as did the Canadians and about 1000 bottles of spirit, but ofwhilst barley was ideally suited toin these two countries production course we dont know what strengthBritish and Irish soils and climates,advanced enormously, for a period in the final spirit would have beencorn and rye would be much morethe 1860s and 70s Canada was the distilled to. rewarding crops in their new land.worlds largest producer of whisky, but Couple this with a natural dispositionin the 20th century it was in Scotland Regardless, the nomenclature is clearlyfor independence and rebellion, and itthat the industry powered ahead.Celtic; aqua vitae in Gaelic is uisgeis not surprising that American whiskey beatha, which became uisge andbranched off in a totally different ultimately whisky. In both countriesdirection both in terms of production3 is thedistillation developed throughmethods and taste.magic number!the middle ages and by the 17thIt is only after a minimum of 3 years century whisky drinking had becomeHead for head, Ireland lead the way widespread. As a result Charles, I sawin whisky production, the first officialof ageing that Scottish whisky can be an opportunity to raise a lot of money;distilling licence being granted incalled scotch. Some distilleries hold in 1644 taxes were imposed on Scotch1608 and one hundred years latercasksof whisky whichareagrand whisky and laws passed restrictingthere were reckoned to be 2,000 stills70+ years old.138 INN EXPRESS - DRINKS PORTFOLIO 2019|20 - WHISKEY, WHISKY & BOURBON'