Whisky History
The History of Whisky
Uisge Beatha
Whisky is a drink of both the saints and sinners. It is a drink that most people savor. This drink has been duplicated in many countries and every country has a distinctive taste and flavor. The exact origin of this drink seems to be lost over the ages but it is accepted that the Celts were the first to know how to distill grains way back in the 800 AD. The Scotts decided to go for the cereals like barley and rye since they grow in plenty in the northern region. The Celts made extremely good whisky; it could warm the coldest of spirits. In fact in Celtic whisky is known as uisge beatha which means the water of life.
The First Distilleries
The earliest documented recording of distilling in Scotland was recorded in 1494. According to the legend St. Patrick introduced distilling to the Irish in the fifth century AD. The secret then traveled into AD500 through the Dalriadic Scots. It is believed that St. Patrick acquired his knowledge from either Spain or France.
Water of Life
Initially the distilling process was applied in the production of perfume, than wine and later on it was used for the fermentation of the grains in the making of whisky. The spirit was termed water of life. It was made in the monasteries and used for medicinal purposes. In Ireland, there are monasteries that date back to the late 12th century.
A Popular Drink in Europe
This drink went on to become extremely popular all over Europe. The Scottish government took note of it and in the seventeenth century they introduced the first ever tax on malt and the end product. Scotch whisky has survived everything and has only grown in its popularity. It survived wars, depressions, and more to claim its position, even today, as the international spirit of choice for most occasions.