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Kevin R. Kosar - Whiskey: A Global History

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A Manhattan or a Sazerac; neat, on the rocks, or with a splash of sodano matter how its served up, whiskey is synonymous with the poets inspiration and the devils spirit. Be it bourbon, rye, corn, Irish, or Scotch, whiskey has an infamous and celebrated history from a sometimes lethal, herb-infused concoction to a high-quality, meticulously crafted liquor.

In Whiskey, Kevin R. Kosar delivers an informative, concise narrative of the drinks history, from its obscure medieval origins to the globally traded product that it is today. Focusing on three nationsScotland, Ireland, and AmericaKosar charts how the technique of distillation moved from ancient Egypt to the British Isles. Contrary to popular claims, there were no good old days of whiskey: before the twentieth century, consumers could never be sure just what was being poured in their cupunscrupulous profiteers could distill anything into booze and pawn it off as whiskey. Eventually, government and industry established legal definitions of what whiskey is and how it could be made, allowing for the distinctive styles of whiskey known today.

Whiskey explains what whiskey is, how it is made, and how the types of whiskey differ. With a list of suggested brands and classic cocktail recipes for the thirsty reader, this book is perfect for drink and food enthusiasts and history lovers alike.

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WHISKEY Edible Series Editor Andrew F Smith EDIBLE is a revolutionary new - photo 1

WHISKEY

Picture 2

Edible

Series Editor: Andrew F. Smith

EDIBLE is a revolutionary new series of books dedicated to food and drink that explores the rich history of cuisine. Each book reveals the global history and culture of one type of food or beverage.

Already published

Cake Nicola Humble

Milk Hannah Velten

Caviar Nichola Fletcher

Pancake Ken Albala

Cheese Andrew Dalby

Pie Janet Clarkson

Chocolate Sarah Moss and
Alexander Badenoch

Pizza Carol Helstosky

Sandwich Bee Wilson

Curry Colleen Taylor Sen

Soup Janet Clarkson

Hamburger Andrew F. Smith

Spices Fred Czarra

Hot Dog Bruce Kraig

Tea Helen Saberi

Whiskey

A Global History

Kevin R. Kosar

REAKTION BOOKS

To my pack Laura, Robert, Anna, Daisy,
and the late Sheldon Hoguet Kosar.

Published by Reaktion Books Ltd
33 Great Sutton Street
London EC1V 0DX, UK
www.reaktionbooks.co.uk

First published 2010

Copyright Kevin R. Kosar 2010

All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
permission of the publishers.

Page references in the Photo Acknowledgements and
Index match the printed edition of this book.

Printed and bound in China

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Kosar, Kevin R.
Whiskey: a global history. (Edible)
1. Whiskey. 2. Whiskey History.
I. Title II. Series

641.2 52-DC22

eISBN: 9781861898944

Contents

Whiskey A Global History - image 3

Introduction

Whiskey A Global History - image 4

Whiskey is fascinating. There are hundreds of brands of it, yet few whiskies taste alike. Ardbeg and Laphroaig are both single malt Scotch whiskies. They are made in distilleries located a stones throw from one another on the island of Islay, off Scotlands western coast. Yet their flavours are remarkably distinct.

Each whiskey reflects the ingredients, machines and people who make it. The passage of time wreaks changes small and large on all these factors; recipes get revised, water, soil and grain change, and both distilleries and whiskey-makers age and eventually are replaced. New brands of whiskey are born, old brands die, some brands even come back from the dead. So it is that a bottle of Bruichladdich Scotch whisky produced in 2010 will not taste exactly the same as one produced in 1950. For the curious soul, then, whiskey provides endless opportunities for discovery, as it ever evolves.

I also was drawn to writing this book because whiskey is not just a drink; it is a political, economic and cultural phenomenon. Arising sometime before the fifteenth century, whiskey began as an obscure and often throat-scorching drink that was produced by crude methods and enjoyed by poor village denizens and farmers in the British Isles. Today, whiskey comes in an astonishing number of types and brands, and it is consumed by the rich, the poor, the rural and the urban. Whiskey-making has moved far beyond its native shores and to places such as Germany, Japan, Pakistan and New Zealand, and whiskey-making has become as much a science as an art.

Does the world really need another book on whiskey? Yes. Here is why.

Most whiskey books are either tasting guides, or they address one type of whiskey (Irish, Scotch, bourbon, etc.) in its native land (Ireland, Scotland or the USA). These latter books tend to focus heavily on the stories of individual distillers and brands.

While this approach is illuminating and entertaining, it misses the bigger picture, and the remarkable parallels of nations whiskey experiences: governments struggles to regulate and tax it sensibly, and the sometimes violent responses these policies provoked; the booms, busts and industrialization of whiskey production; the politicization of whiskey; its seepage into nations cultures; and the moral backlashes it has elicited. Additionally, examining all the worlds whiskies together makes sense because today all whiskies are part of the global whiskey world and compete for consumers.

And I must also add that too many whiskey book writers fall hopelessly in love with their subject matter. They uncritically repeat tall tales told by whiskey-makers and hooey put out by public relations firms, and they paint blissful scenes where crafty old-timers and strong-backed young uns make whiskey the old fashioned way. I have visited distilleries and whiskey towns; many are beautiful and populated with unforgettable characters. It is not for nothing that whiskey has been celebrated in poetry and song.

But the whiskey world also has mundane and ugly features. First and foremost, whiskey is a business. A few amateurs may make tiny batches for their own consumption, but most whiskey is churned out by computerized factories where professionals keep a sharp eye on the bottom line. Additionally, whiskey is a potent drink and many individuals cannot handle it. Whiskey misuse and abuse has sparked brawls, ruined families and killed many.

It is a wild tale that runs from the British Isles in the Dark Ages to the New World in the twenty-first century, and the plot includes political upheavals, technological revolutions, criminal enterprises, moral backlashes and globalization. The cast of characters is rich, with alchemists, crooks, eccentrics, poets, politicians, preachers, scientists and the millions upon millions who simply enjoy a stiff drink.

1
Origins: From Seed to Spirit

Whiskey A Global History - image 5

Whisky vs. Whiskey

As with much in the whiskey world, there is a lot of nonsense propagated about the correct usage of the terms whisky and whiskey. I have heard folks insist that whiskey refers to the stuff produced in the United States. This is not true, as can be seen by looking at a bottle of the American-made Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky.

Generally, in Canada, England and Scotland the preferred spelling is whisky, and in Ireland and the USA it is whiskey. But plenty of exceptions to these rules exist.

In this book, the term whiskey is used as a catch-all term covering both whisky and whiskey. The e-less form, whisky, is employed only when referring to the Scotch and Canadian versions, or to a specific brand, such as George Dickel #12 Tennessee Whisky.

Whiskey Defined

Put simply, whiskey is an alcoholic beverage that is distilled from fermented cereal grain and aged in wooden casks. The term cereal grain refers to those seed-producing grasses that we humans farm for consumption, such as barley, corn, oats, rye, wheat and so forth. Barrel-ageing is included as an essential part of the definition of whiskey because barrel-ageing imparts colour (from straw yellow to deep brown) and flavours (for example, vanilla) to the whiskey. Taken together, these two characteristics differentiate whiskey from other distilled spirits, such as cognac (which is distilled from fermented grape juice) and vodka (which can be distilled from grain, sugar beets or nearly anything else, but is not barrel-aged).

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