Whiskey is a drink extracted by use of malted grain and is alcoholic. It is made from varies grains such as maize, rye, wheat and barley. The difference in the various types available is brought about by the method of distillation, how the grains are fermented and aging of the drink in wooden barrels. This article looks at the history of whiskey in order to appreciate this great drink.
Originally, distillation was used for making perfumes plus aromatics before this alcoholic drink was discovered. The art of distillation spread to Ireland with monks plus pharmacists using the drink for its medicinal value. They used it to treat such ailments as sinuses and chest congestion, indigestion, cleaning of open wounds and cold colds.
In Ireland, the distillers found out that even without grapes it was possible to make alcohol using barley; this brought about the Irish whiskey. Around that time, King Henry VII got rid of monasteries and this forced monks to go back to the community. For survival, they used their distilling knowledge to make this alcoholic beverage for sale. This art soon spread to households plus farms in the community.
In formative years, they produced an alcoholic drink that tasted very bitter since they did not give it sufficient period to mature. The current brand was accidental discovered when someone found an old barrel that had been forgotten. After tasting it, the owner discovered that it has a sweet, soft taste. It was purer and also richer in color and very intoxicating.
This drink was later used as a form of currency and for consumption during the revolution in America. The drink was imported from Ireland and would also be used in trade. Later on, the Irish who migrated to America would take their knowledge of making the beverage there.
American whiskey came to birth and became increasingly popular. Various distilling methods would be invented, such as the ‘Continuous Still’ and later the ‘Coffey Still’. These methods brought about simpler ways of distilling the brew. However, the drink produced was of lesser quality than that of the Irish. The cost of production decreased and quantity increased.
However, the Irish did not accept the new methods used for distillation by the Americans. They preferred to use their traditional methods of distilling. This led to the invention of the blended brand. This technique saw the brand made from Coffey Still blended in with the traditional Irish whiskey. This was the Scottish brand, and it boosted volumes of the drink and the manufacturing process was made easier.
In the 1880s, the French embraced this drink after a pest destroyed their grape crop. The manufacture of brandy became finished completely as the Scottish brand dominated the market completely. This alcoholic drink has increasingly become popular up to today around the world. Irish and Scotch brands are clearly different in that the Irish one is produced naturally with emphasis on the taste of the barley. The Scotch one has different flavors that are blended then distilled twice; this is referred to as triple distillation. The history of whiskey is long but it is still a popular alcoholic drink in all parts of the globe regardless of where it is manufactured.
Whiskey is an alcoholic beverage that is prized in some locales. You can find whiskey merchandise in various forms available on the Net.