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Whiskey
Appears in
Published 2004
American whiskey is a group of distinct alcoholic products made only in the United States, produced by fermenting then distilling a mixture, or “mash,” of barley, rye, wheat, or corn, water, and yeast. While whiskey is made in other countries, there are several types made only in America: corn, bourbon, rye, straight, blended, Tennessee, and wheat.
The word “whiskey” comes from the ancient Gaelic word uisqebeatha or uisebaugh, pronounced OOS-kee-baa or whis-kee-BAW (water of life). When the word refers to the product made in Scotland, Scotch “whisky,” it is spelled without the “e.” The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms approved “whisky” as the standard spelling, but American producers continue to spell the word with the “e.”