Whisky - one of the most remarkable of alcoholic beverages. It seems to me that in his fall with age, like a good cognac. Here in my life came a moment when the first gift a bottle of good whiskey I have ever sat down to this intoxicating drink. A drink of good whiskey as a lovely woman - warm soul, caress the body and relaxes the brain. But enough of metaphor, let's talk about the bare facts. Small Collection of interesting facts about the whiskey for connoisseurs of the drink ))).
a. The modern name of whiskey spelled whisky - a Scottish version, and whiskey - all other. If the bottle is written «whisky» it is precisely manufactured in Scotland, if «whiskey», then where else, but not in Scotland. Incidentally, in the journalism industry is often used combined version - whisk (e) y, if both are mentioned in the article, for example, Scottish and Irish varieties.
2. The word ... ...
3. The name of the alcoholic beverage derived from the Celtic expression uisce beatha, which translates as pure water.
4. Maybe the whiskey can soon get the title of most expensive alcohol in the world. While the most expensive whiskey is a 60 -year-old Macallan ($ 62,000 per bottle, these bottles of 40). However, already on sale a bottle of Irish whiskey of the XIX century the cost of 100,000 pounds (which is practically equal to $ 200,000). This is the only surviving distillery bottle of Nun's Island Distillery in County Galway. In the meantime, the record of the most expensive alcoholic beverage in the world belongs to blame - the most expensive bottle was sold at Christie's auction for $ 160,000.
5. Also, whiskey - a good target for investments. A bottle of 17 year old whiskey Ardberg cost in February 2005, $ 75, and in November 2007 - now $ 198. Thus, an increase of almost 250 % in 30 months.
6. November 9, 2007, former Dutch finance minister Gerrit Zalm started the exchange to trade whiskey - World Whisky Index. Today the portfolio of orders WWI is $ 392,000. Buying whiskey on WWI, receive a certificate confirming your right to a subsequent sale of this particular bottle. Like any commodity exchange, pick up a bottle is not necessary, you can leave the deposit of WWI. Investing in whiskey is very popular among Japanese, Chinese and Russian.
7. In the world every second, buy 30 bottles of Scotch whiskey. Scotch whiskey in the world is sold almost 2 times higher than the Canadian, American, Japanese and Irish, together.
8. There are over 5,000 species of malt whiskey (malts), 90% of which are manufactured in Scotland. However, in terms of volume is only 5% of the whiskey produced in the country. The remaining 95 % - is blended whiskey (blended).
9. Mix whiskey (blended) can contain up to 50 types of malt and 2-3 types of grain (grain) whiskey.
10. Whisky with markings ... In reality, single malt whiskey is labeled ...
11. Not many wine lovers know that malt whiskey red wine is more useful because it contains more ellagic acid - an antioxidant that can withstand the heart disease and even stop the growth of cancer cells. Perhaps this is why during the ...
12. Most Scottish viskokuren no longer belong to the Scots. With the exception of Edrington, generating Famous Grouse, Macallan and Highland Park, and another 17 small family viskokuren.
13. The oldest family distillery is located in the U.S. - Laird. The oldest family distillery in Scotland are Glenfarclas ( 1865 ), Glenfiddich ( 1886) and Springbank ( 1837).
14. Last year about one million. people have visited the rounds on the Scottish distillery.
15. After the Second World War, when England are understandably lived in austerity mode, Churchill sent a letter to the British Minister of Food Industry, which ordered that under no circumstances did not reduce the amount of barley destined for the production of whiskey.
16. In the U.S. farmers, whose farms are located near the distillery, using the spent corn (or other grains ) to feed their cattle. It is believed that by passing on such feed, cows begin to produce more milk.
17. A bottle of whiskey can be kept 100 years, without losing the taste of the drink. After opening the whiskey can be safely stored for 5 years.
18. As of winter 2006, in Scotland there were 105 productions of whiskey - malt viskikuren 97 traditional and 8 production of grain whiskey.
19. During the 333 years (if you take a date of birth, drink the first known written mention in 1494 ), barley malt is the only raw material for the production of whiskey.
20. 1827 Robert Stein has registered patent number 5583, which describes a continuous distillation unit. Prior to that the whiskey was made the traditional method - home-brewed beer was poured into a huge copper kettle, cooled in a pair of coil. Traditional manufacturers have long fought to prove that the product of new vehicles has no right to be called whiskey. However, in a series of lawsuits, 37 meetings and interviews with 116 witnesses, the Royal Commission did in 1909 recognized the right of grain alcohol, the resulting continuous method, called ...
21. In 1915, legislation was approved by minimum exposure of whiskey in wooden barrels - 2 years, and in 1916 increased to 3 years.
22. Prior to 1846 there was a ban on the use of a distillation of grain, except for barley. This was an obvious protectionist measure. Immediately after the abolition of the law, known as the ...
23. In the Soviet Union produced a brand of whiskey, which is close to the Canadian type - ... He served as a raw material for rectified spirit and aromatic drugs purchased from foreign firms. The product is particularly popular among the population did not enjoy.
24. The world's largest producer and consumer of whiskey, as not enough, India is.
25. Whisky is one of the five main UK exports.
26. In France, last month sold more whiskey than cognac - one year.
27. In Scotland, whiskey is called dram ( drem ). In the bars you pour so that only the bottom barely concealed by the glass, and when drinking with friends, you need to decide the size of his ... «Good dram» - this is when three fingers from the bottom.
28. A distinctive feature of Scotch whiskey - the use of peat smoked malt in the.
29. Scotch is a brand of alcohol in maintaining oak sherry. This is due to historical reasons. When the XVIII-XIX centuries, England was the main consumer of sherry, the thrifty Scots carefully collected the empty casks sherry, and used them in the production of whiskey.
30. Americans have recognized the whiskey and began producing his own only after Prohibition 1920.
31. During the ...
32. Between Ireland and Scotland are still very bitter disputes about who are the first to discover this drink, and who stole from whom the way of cooking.
The Scots believe that the whiskey was imported into their country as missionaries, and then became widespread in the monasteries. In those days, the monks used whiskey for medicinal purposes.
Official date of Scotch whiskey is the year 1494, a record that dates back to the Royal Treasury that a John Cor bought 500 kg of malt for the production of «aqua vitae».
To emphasize its priority in the production of this drink, whiskey and called - Scotch. And that word is reserved only for whiskey, so all the other products referred to Scottish scottish.
In Ireland, there were some whiskey before - in the VI century. It is believed that he, too, brought back the wandering monks, and the secret of making moonshine distilled from cereals and distillation came from North Africa.
Irish people themselves believe that there was whiskey in the first Christian monasteries that have appeared on the island, and invented him as proud to say the Irish, in the V century itself St. Patrick - the patron of Ireland. Of course, there are no documents showing that the St. Patrick invented whiskey, there is no. Although documentary evidence is one - is an Act of Parliament in 1556, where there is mention of whiskey. In addition, the oldest distillery in Europe - Old Bashmills - also located in Ireland. It was built in 1608.
The researchers do not doubt the fact that the distillation of barley - that is, the process of production of barley whiskey - it originated in Ireland. And the Scottish pirates often attacked Ireland is to capture more of this life-giving drink.