As of 2014, the origin of whiskey is unknown, but what is certain is that whiskey has been produced in Scotland for more than 500 years. Therefore, Scotland is generally regarded as the origin of all whiskey. birthplace.

According to the Scotch Whiskey Association, Scotch whiskey developed from a drink called "Uisge Beatha" (meaning "water of life").

In the 15th century, Scotch whiskey was mostly used as a cold potion.

In the 11th century AD, Irish monks arrived in Scotland to convey the gospel, thus bringing the distillation technology of Scotch whiskey.

In 1780, there were only 8 legal distilleries, while there were more than 400 illegal distilleries, large and small. They could only produce whiskey by cutting corners, and the reputation of Scotch whiskey was increasingly "corrupted".

In 1823, the British Parliament passed the Excise Act to create a relatively relaxed tax environment for legal distilleries, and at the same time vigorously "encircled and suppressed" illegal distilleries, thus greatly promoting the production of Scotch whiskey. industrial development.

In 1831, Scotland introduced the column still, which could perform continuous distillation, greatly improving the distillation efficiency, thus lowering the price of whiskey and making whiskey more accessible to the masses. . Irish historians believe that the oldest Scottish distillery (Lslay on the island of Islay) is located opposite Ireland, and the oldest whiskey distillery - Bushmills Distillery in Ireland (Bushmills) was officially established in 1608 .

They also proved that the brewery had been in production for some time before it was officially established. They used words from the British "Description of Pembrokeshire" published in 1602 to prove their conclusion: "Most of the immigrants from Ireland were craftsmen. They produced a large amount of 'distilled liquor' and then used horses to make it." and sold on mules in England." Scotland's statement Scottish historians defended their view by citing the earliest written records of barley brewing distilled liquor.

These records were found in Scottish documents from 1494. There is this record in the British Treasury Chronicle at that time: "Eight bolls of malt to Friar John Corwherewith to make aqua vitae." (Eight bolls of malt to Friar John Corwherewith to make aqua vitae) This wheat is enough to produce 1,000 More liters of wine. Regarding the origin of whiskey, both Irish whiskey and Scotch whiskey agree that they have a common ancestor, which is "water of life (distilled liquor)", (called in Latin aqua vitae, known in Welsh as uisge beatha). Later it gradually became whisky in Scots and whiskey in Irish. The classification of whiskey is mainly based on raw materials, storage time, alcohol content, and country of origin.

According to different raw materials, whiskey can be divided into pure malt whiskey, grain whiskey and rye whiskey.

According to the storage time of whiskey in oak barrels, it can be divided into varieties with different ages, ranging from several years to decades. All Scotch whiskeys have a requirement, which is that they need to be aged in oak barrels for a long time. in 3 years.

According to the alcohol content, whiskey can be divided into whiskeys with different alcohol levels such as 40-60 degrees. The representative whiskey classification method is that according to the place of production and country, whiskey can be divided into four categories: Scotch whiskey, Irish whiskey, American whiskey and Canadian whiskey, as well as Japanese whiskey, whiskey from other countries, etc. Scotch whiskey is native to Scotland and is made from barley malt that has been dried and roasted with peat to produce a unique aroma.

Its brewing goes through six processes: soaking the barley in water to germinate, drying, crushing the malt, adding water to the tank to saccharify, adding yeast to the barrel for fermentation, distilling twice, aging, and mixing.

Scotch whiskey can be divided into four categories with different raw materials, distillation and aging methods: Single Malt Whiskey (Single Malt), Pure Malt Whiskey (Pure Malt), and Blended Whiskey (Blend) , grain whiskey (GrainWhisky).

It must be stored in Scotland for at least 3 years. The best quality finished wine is 15 to 20 years old. The quality will deteriorate after 20 years, with a color of brownish yellow and red, clear and translucent, and a burnt smell. With a strong smell of smoke. American Whiskey (American Whiskey) The main methods of classifying American whiskey are: divided according to the basic production process (pure whiskey, blended whiskey, light whiskey), divided according to the grains used (bourbon whiskey, rye whiskey, corn whiskey, wheat whiskey, Malt whiskey) is divided according to the fermentation process (sour malt whiskey, sweet malt whiskey), according to the filtration process (Tennessee whiskey), according to the national regulatory system (bonded whiskey), and according to individual characteristics (single barrel whiskey, small batch whiskey). This whiskey, vintage whiskey).

Used corn and other grains as raw materials, originating from the southern United States. Corn mixed with wheat is used as the brewing raw material. After fermentation and distillation, it is brewed in oak barrels with charred insides. 2- 3 years.

During bottling, a certain amount of distilled water is added to dilute it. American whiskey does not have the strong smokey flavor of Scotch whiskey, but it has a unique oak aroma. Irish Whiskey (Irish Whiskey) The types of Irish whiskey can be divided into four categories: WhiskeyPotstill (pot still whiskey), GrainWhiskey (grain whiskey), WhiskeySingleMalt (single malt whiskey), Blended Whiskey (blended whiskey).

Characteristics: Soft, as if burning in the mouth.

Original from Ireland, it is brewed with malt from wheat, barley, rye, etc. Distilled three times. Then it is aged in barrels, which usually takes 8-15 years.

It must be mixed and diluted with water when bottling. Because the raw materials are not smoked and roasted with peat, there is no burnt aroma and the taste is soft and long-lasting. It is suitable for making mixed wine and other drinks. Canadian Whiskey The history of Canadian whiskey begins on the shores of Lake Ontario, where British immigrants built the first distillery in the early 19th century. Canadian whiskey was influenced by the French, who produced rum in Quebec in the 18th century. Under the influence of distiller Hiram Walker, Canadian whiskey developed rapidly in the 1850s.

It is mainly brewed from a mixture of rye, corn and barley. It is distilled twice and stored in wooden barrels for 4, 6, 7 and 10 years. Blending is required before sale. Canadian whiskey has a refreshing smell and a light and refreshing taste. Many North Americans like this kind of wine. Japanese Whiskey The first truly original Japanese whiskey was born in 1929, but there was still a long period of time when Japan imported malted barley from Highland to produce distilled liquor, and the Japanese just blended and aged it, and retained Scottish name.

There is a city in Japan called Axiangding, just to be able to call the whiskey produced locally in Scots.

The whiskey produced in Japan is mainly made of barley (corn) as raw material, distilled in copper pot stills or continuous stills, and aged in barrels that have been filled with sherry or port wine. conduct. Whiskey from other countries Legend has it that wherever the British people have been, they can find imitations of whiskey, most of which are distributed in India, while people in Oceania produce whiskey according to the traditional Scottish way.