Drinking scotch is easy, right? You just pour some into a glass and
drink, the end. While that may be true, you probably won't get much
enjoyment out of it. This series of articles will give you everything
you need to enjoy one of the world's oldest, most refined, and popular
drinks.
First off, a little lesson on scotch itself. I know, you don't really care where it came from, but its rich history will help you enjoy the taste even more. Believe me.
The SWA or Scotch Whisky Association tells us that "aqua vitae" the Latin phrase for "water of life," was first mentioned in writing in a Scottish tax document from 1494 by a friar named John Cor, who claimed eight bolls of malt to make aqua vitae. This would make about 1,500 bottles, showing that the distillery was already established.
Scotch was mainly made my monks, but as many of the monasteries were taken down, the monks made scotch whiskey as a means to make money. Originally, whisky was prescribed as a sort of tonic used to help relieve palsy, smallpox, and colic.
Scotch became quickly became popular throughout Scotland which led to large taxation by the Scottish and English Parliaments. The heavy taxes cause distillers to go underground and make the whiskey illegally which became standard from 150 years. The Scottish loved their whisky so much that even ministers in the church would allow it to be stored in special compartments under the pulpit. Scotch was often smuggled around in coffins as well.
In 1823 an act was passed that would allow whisky to once again be produced in a way that benefited both the government and the distillers. Legal scotch whisky once again found its way around the Scottish countryside.
Scotch became popular in France, when in the 1880's the phylloxera beetle destroyed the French vineyards cause wine and brandy production to come to a screeching halt. By the time the vineyards recovered, Scotch was the preferred drink in France.
Since then, Scotch whisky has become one of the world's most popular drinks and is enjoyed, in one way shape or form, in more then 200 countries around the world and generating an income of over $6 billion in exports annually.
The next article will deal on how scotch is made! Stay tuned and feel free to comment!
First off, a little lesson on scotch itself. I know, you don't really care where it came from, but its rich history will help you enjoy the taste even more. Believe me.
The SWA or Scotch Whisky Association tells us that "aqua vitae" the Latin phrase for "water of life," was first mentioned in writing in a Scottish tax document from 1494 by a friar named John Cor, who claimed eight bolls of malt to make aqua vitae. This would make about 1,500 bottles, showing that the distillery was already established.
Scotch was mainly made my monks, but as many of the monasteries were taken down, the monks made scotch whiskey as a means to make money. Originally, whisky was prescribed as a sort of tonic used to help relieve palsy, smallpox, and colic.
Scotch became quickly became popular throughout Scotland which led to large taxation by the Scottish and English Parliaments. The heavy taxes cause distillers to go underground and make the whiskey illegally which became standard from 150 years. The Scottish loved their whisky so much that even ministers in the church would allow it to be stored in special compartments under the pulpit. Scotch was often smuggled around in coffins as well.
In 1823 an act was passed that would allow whisky to once again be produced in a way that benefited both the government and the distillers. Legal scotch whisky once again found its way around the Scottish countryside.
Scotch became popular in France, when in the 1880's the phylloxera beetle destroyed the French vineyards cause wine and brandy production to come to a screeching halt. By the time the vineyards recovered, Scotch was the preferred drink in France.
Since then, Scotch whisky has become one of the world's most popular drinks and is enjoyed, in one way shape or form, in more then 200 countries around the world and generating an income of over $6 billion in exports annually.
The next article will deal on how scotch is made! Stay tuned and feel free to comment!