Questions and Answers
What was the impact of steam power on whiskey production?
Why did the sales of cognac to the British increase?
What happened to the grapevines in France due to the Phylloxera Apid?
What was the trend in whiskey sales in the 1960s?
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What contributed to the fall of the whiskey industry in the early 1980s?
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What was the result of the consolidation of Irish distillers in 1966?
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What was the result of the creation of single malt scotch releases in the 1980s?
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What was the result of the reformulation of Irish whiskey?
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What was the result of the growth of Maker's Mark and the creation of Blanton single barrel bottling and Booker's unfiltered cask strength bourbon?
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What was the result of the consolidation of Irish distilleries?
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What is the difference between 'Whisky' and 'Whiskey'
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What is the meaning of 'Aqua Vitae'?
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Who was making whiskey in the early days?
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Why did small wooden barrels become popular for storing whiskey?
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What was the significance of the Whiskey Rebellion?
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What was the significance of George Washington's distillery?
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What was the result of using French brandy technology in whiskey production?
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What was the effect of aging whiskey on its quality?
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Why did distillers start using 2nd hand barrels?
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What was the name of the whiskey tradition that grew in Canada?
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Study Notes
The Story of Whiskey
- Whisky is used in Great Britain, Canada, and Japan, while Whiskey is used in the US and Ireland.
- The term "Aqua Vitae" means "water of life" or "water of vitality" and is the alchemical Latin name for alcohol.
Early Whiskey Production
- Whiskey was consumed in Ireland in the early 1400s, with records of malt being sent to a friar to make aqua vitae in 1494.
- Monks, farmers, and millers made whiskey, adding spices, herbs, and honey to smooth it, but did not age it in barrels.
Whiskey and Wood
- Scottish and Irish distillers used small wooden barrels that were lighter and less prone to break than ceramic jugs, making it easier to transport.
- Rye whiskey became popular during the Revolutionary War, with Pennsylvania rye helping to keep colonial soldiers warm and well-tempered at Valley Forge.
- George Washington built a distillery at his estate in Mount Vernon and became the largest distiller of rye in the US for a short time.
New Whiskeys and Aging
- The US introduced an excise tax on distilling after the Revolutionary War, leading to the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania.
- New whiskey made from corn in Kentucky, known as bourbon, emerged, and another whiskey tradition, blended whiskey, developed in Canada.
- French brandy technology, which involved storing whiskey in toasted or charred barrels, changed the color of whiskey from off-color to amber.
- Whiskeys benefited from the new process, earning the names "red liquor" and "Monongahela Red".
- Distillers discovered that the longer they kept whiskey in the barrel, the better it got.
Industry Development
- Steam power allowed for the production of large quantities of mid-flavored grain whiskey, which blenders used to tame full-flavored pot-distilled malt whiskey.
- Phylloxera, a disease that affected French grapevines, led to a decrease in cognac production, allowing whiskey to take its place.
Whiskey's Decline and Rise
- Whiskey's popularity declined in the 1960s, with vodka and rum gaining popularity.
- The "whiskey loch" in the 1980s led to a crash in the industry, but single malt scotch releases increased, led by Glenfiddich.
- Bourbon began its turnaround with the growth of Makers Mark and the creation of Blanton single barrel bottling and Bookers unfiltered cask strength bourbon.
- Irish whiskey consolidated, with distillers uniting in one company, Irish Distillers, and building a modern distillery in Middleton, leading to a tremendous growth in the category over the past 20 years.
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