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What’s the difference between Whiskey and Whisky and what makes them special?

‘Whiskey is liquid sunshine’

George Bernard Shaw, the famous Dublin playwright

When our famous Nancy Hands was working in Dublin, at the peak of the late 18^th century, there were over 100 whiskeys making operations in Ireland which supplied both the local and international market. Between 1850 and 1915, Irish whiskey was the king of the world!

So what’s the difference?

‘Whiskey’ is produced in Ireland while ‘Scotch Whisky’ is produced in Scotland and ‘Bourbon Whisky’ in the United States.

What makes a good Irish whiskey?

1. Well first things first, a true Irish whiskey such as: Bushmills, Jameson and Connemara are made from malted and unmalted barley and distilled in pot stills which are those beautiful pieces of metal-work that produces whiskies with a rich, full flavour. Some of Bushmill’s elegant blends like Paddy’s blend malted barley and grain whiskies which create strong, beautiful forms of whiskies.

2. Secondly, usually Irish whiskey is triple distilled whereas most Scottish whisky is only twice distilled.

3. The third distilment gives Irish whiskey a much smoother, easy-sipping final product. With Irish whiskey, you will normally find that the producers use a variety of barrels to create interesting flavours and aromas. Bourbon barrels reveal vanilla and spice flavours to the whiskey whereas sherry casks release more fruity characteristics.

Irish whiskey is one of the oldest drinks in Ireland can be traced back to Irish monasteries in the 12^th century AD. It is part of Irish culture and heritage and something which we should be very proud of! The earliest reference to whiskey in Ireland dates back to the 1400s, the word ‘whiskey’ originated from the Gallic word ‘uisce beatha’ meaning the water of life but the Normans who had conquered Ireland by that stage were unable to pronounce the word uisce so it gradually evolved into the word ‘whiskey’ as it’s known today.

With the shift of image from whiskey being an ‘old man’s drink’ to a newer audience, there has been a renaissance in the popularity of Irish whiskey in recent years.

Here at Nancy Hands we pride ourselves with the variety of whiskeys, both Irish and Scotch for you to sample. We have an excellent Irish Whiskey Demonstration class where one of our whiskey experts give you insights into the most popular and well-known brands available in Nancy Hands. And of course what would a demonstration be without the opportunity to taste and sample some of the whiskies! It is surely a brilliant opportunity and a way to learn about one of the most beloved drinks in Ireland!!