The world of Whisky is buzzing with various terminology and variations that creates a lot of confusion not only with newbies but with seasoned people as well. The biggest confusion is the fact that the drink is sometimes spelled ‘whisky’ and at other times ‘whiskey’ . Which one is correct and which one should we use and what’s the difference?
‘Whisky’ derives from the Gaelic term usquebaugh which translates as ‘water of life’. Uisge means water. Beatha means life. It’s a term used for many types of invigorating spirits over time, for example Eau de Vie.
Whisky, like a beautiful woman, demands appreciation.. You gaze first, then it's time to Drink" - Haruki Murakami
The Story
There are any number of theories to explain the alternative spelling of whiskies. Until the late 19th century, most of the world spelled whisky without an e. Even the major Irish distillers, then the biggest in the world, followed the practice, as did American distillers.
The Gladstone government passed the Spirits Act, 1860. The act allowed whisky blenders, for the first time, to create blends consisting of grain whisky and single malts. At the time, Ireland was the center of the world’s whisky production.
Irish distillers were producing around 70% of the world’s whisky. Irish whiskey was the most popular in the world, even out selling its Scottish rivals in England and Scotland.
The difference comes from the translation of words from the Scottish and Irish Gaelic forms. In the late 1800s, Scottish whisky was also very poor quality therefore the Irish producers wanted to differentiate their product. These days though, both Scotch and Irish are two of the greatest spirits on the planet. (Source: BBC)
"Whisky is Liquid Sunshine" - George Bernard Shaw
Which spelling is actually correct?
Both spellings are correct, until you are regionally biased. Different regions have different historical spellings.
Whiskey – generally US & Ireland
Whisky – Scotland, Canada, and Japan
The American spelling is whiskey most likely due to the large number of Irish immigrants setting up their stills throughout the US. Although the legal spelling is whisky, whiskey is generally preferred. Some distilleries do like to use the ‘Scottish’ version – see Maker’s Mark.
The Japanese spelling is whisky as it was two men’s study of Scotch whisky that inspired the Japanese whisky movement.
What do we use in India and other countries?
Canada, India and Japan, the three other major whisky producers, also follow the Scottish spelling. Most of the rest of the world has followed suit. USA follows the Irish example and spells whiskey with an e, although there are a number of major exceptions.
In India we spell it as Whisky.
Here are two of my Favorite Indian Whisky brands
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