Writing Reference: Whiskey
Whiskey - a general term for an alcoholic liquor made from fermented mashed grains.
Bourbon - the term for a whiskey made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn; traditionally made in Bourbon County, Kentucky, and most bourbon is still produced in the state of Kentucky.
In the United States, the spelling whiskey is preferred and is what you’ll see on labels of American-made whiskeys. You’ll also see this spelling on Irish whiskeys, as it’s the preferred spelling in Ireland.
Outside of these two countries, though, the spelling whisky is typically preferred to refer to the same general type of drink. Countries that produce this drink, such as Scotland, Canada, and Japan, typically use the whisky spelling on labels.
In general, whiskey and whisky are different spellings for the same general type of alcoholic beverage.
The plural form of whiskey is whiskeys, and the plural of whisky is whiskies.
Even when using the same spelling, specific drinks may have differences from each other. For example, the United States and Ireland both use the whiskey spelling, but the drinks themselves often have different production and distillation methods that will make them look and taste different from each other.
Whiskey - a general term for an alcoholic liquor made from fermented grain mash.
The particular grain (or grain mixture) that is traditionally used will often depend on what is readily available in the local area.
For example, Irish whiskey is typically made from barley, while American whiskey is usually made from corn or rye.
Most whiskeys are aged in wooden containers and almost always are at least 40% alcohol by volume.
Yes. Bourbon, also known as bourbon whiskey, is a whiskey that is made primarily from corn.
In fact, bourbon must be made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn in order for it to be called bourbon in the United States.
Bourbon production also makes use of particular types of barrels and particular distillation and bottling methods.
However, the corn requirement is the main aspect that makes bourbon unique from other types of whiskey.
Bourbon vs. Whiskey vs. Scotch
Scotch whisky - commonly known as scotch, is another specific kind of whiskey.
While bourbon uses corn as the primary grain, Scotch whisky is typically made mostly of malted barley.
Like bourbon, Scotch whisky also has specific distillation methods and requirements. Just as importantly, a drink can only be called Scotch whisky if it is made in Scotland.
Rye whiskey - often shortened to just rye, is a type of whiskey that must be made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% rye.
Rye often uses a different, specific distillation and aging process as well.
And at least in the United States, it’s rye whiskey. When it’s made elsewhere, such as in Canada, it’s rye whisky.
Often, whiskeys (or whiskies) are named for the place they come from or for the ingredients used to make them.
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