It’s Whiskey, Viagra, and Manatee Appreciation Day. Now, I shouldn’t have to say this, but, do not mix these three things together for one very questionable March 27 party! I implore you.
Whiskey (Irish and American) and Whisky (Scottish, Canadian, and Japanese) has seen centuries of uncertainty surrounding its origins – be it Irish or Scottish – but one thing to be sure, to be sure, is that “uisce beatha” (pronounced ‘ish-ka ba-ha’, meaning ‘water of life’) has been lubricating Celts for a millennium.
The difference between the two Gaelic countries’ pure drop is much more than Irish Whiskey being spelled with an “e”. It’s distilled an extra time (thrice) for a more elegant and mellow smoothness, while Scotch is simply double-distilled. Canadian is nearer to the Irish recipe, while Japanese more closely-follows that of the Scots. The muck that’s much of American bourbon is often effectively single distilled in a continuous column and deserves to lose all amber-coloured class with a dash of carbonated coke, rather than served in correct fashion: with a drop of water, a compressed ice ball, or simply sipped neat.
There’s been many murmurings that the biggest importer of Johnny Walker Whisky in the world was Saudi Arabia (where alcohol has obviously for years been haram). Solely for the diplomats, it perhaps promoted peaceful, albeit potentially inebriated, partnerships. But now there’s an off-licence bottle shop open in the Kingdom, the currently unconfirmed dark secret record of exceptional wetting of whistles with whisk(e)y may come to official light.
If you want a proper taste of the old country today, though, point your pinky for a pot of the precursor to whiskey: Poitín – which dates back about 2,000 years. The Irish moonshine can only be made from cereals, grain, whey, sugar beet, molasses and potatoes, and almost certainly helped form the Irish word for hangover, póit. That might give you an idea of what you’re getting in for when you dabble with the partially illegal liquor. Despite the danger, Disney decided a dram of the “mountain dew” was due some silver screen time in pre-James Bond Sean Connery classic “Darby O'Gill and the Little People”, which sees titular Darby in the throes of a drinking game splitting a jug of poitín with Brian, King of the leprechauns.
Loathe to take on magical miniature men? Then stick to the whiskey. Besides drinking it for pleasure, many people drink the powerful cancer-preventing antioxidant ellagic acid-packed tipple for their health; some mix it with warm water and honey to soothe sore throats; rub it into babies’ gums to help them sleep; or drizzle a dribble into dressings and desserts. Others, however, claim that drinking whiskey will prolong their life… but they’re usually just very drunk!
#Whiskey #Whisky #Poitín #Potcheen
Director, National Accounts at AVEO Oncology
4moVery cool! The article mentions Revival but Revelation (Kentucky bourbon) and Refuge (Rye) also received Double Gold in the competition. Great representation by Heaven’s Door!