Whiskey or Whisky?
As the weather gets colder, there’s no better drink to warm you up on chilly nights than whiskey. Or is it ‘whisky’? You’ve likely seen it spelled both ways, and if you’re American, you probably just stick the extra ‘e’ in for good measure. But what if you’ve been misspelling your drink of choice all these years? There’s plenty of debate on the correct spelling of the spirit — and sometimes, people can get offended over the misuse of the different spellings, so it’s important to make sure you’re using the right one.
First of all, there’s no difference in the recipe — all whiskey/whisky is made from a mash of fermented grains. The main difference is simply in the translation of the word from Scottish and Gaelic forms. The Scots called it ‘whisky’ and the Irish used ‘whiskey’. When the Irish began immigrating to America in the 16th century, they brought the extra ‘e’ over with them. Since then, whiskey has had a long and rich history in America — and the Americans even created their own styles of whiskey, including bourbon and Tennessee whiskey.
So, the fundamental difference between whiskey and whisky is the country it was made in. Basically, if it was made in Ireland or America, it is spelled with the extra ‘e’ (plural: whiskeys). Anywhere else — like Scotland, Canada, and Japan — call it ‘whisky’ (plural: whiskies). It’s as simple as that.
Now that you know the difference, come see us at Old Tennessee Distilling Company for free tastings of our Butcher’s Bourbon, Corn Whiskey, and our new Mitchum’s Old Tennessee Classic American Corn Whiskey.