Here are a few of our favourites.
1. Whisky does not freeze solid even when temperatures dip down to -30 degrees.
2. Angel’s Tax is the term used to describe the amount of whisky lost each year to evaporation during the ageing process.
3. Scotch Whisky really does come from Scotland. Not only that, to earn the name, it must be processed, distilled, aged, and bottled in Scotland.
4. Every month, employees at Jack Daniels get a free bottle of whiskey.
5. True Scotch Whisky must be aged for a minimum of three years.
6. Your turn: Name the five established whisky regions. When you’ve done that, name two more main contenders. (Answer at the bottom).
7. The main grain in Canadian whisky is rye.
8. The modern word whisk(e)y is derived from the ancient Gaelic word, uisce (water) and with a nod back to the Latin term for distilled spirits, aqua vitae, and the old Irish term, uisce beatha (water of life).
9. India consumes the most whisky in the world.
10. Whiskey is the official state beverage of Alabama. Virginia has two; rye whiskey and milk, presumably not to be consumed at the same time.
11. Malted barley means the barley later used in the fermentation process has been sprouted. The best whiskey makers know exactly when to stop the sprouting process to optimize the sugars used in the fermentation process.
12. The southernmost whisky distillery is located in New Zealand.
13. The Jack Daniels distillery in Tennessee only sells commemorative bottles because the county doesn’t permit the sale of alcohol. Fortunately, some whiskey has ‘accidentally fallen’ into the bottles, but you’ll never see that mentioned on your sales receipt.
14. Don Draper (from the Mad Men TV show only ever drinks Canadian Club Whisky.
15. Americans love Canadian whiskies. It’s the number one spirit imported from Canada to the United States.
16. Whisky and whiskey are both correct spellings of the word. Whiskey tends to be seen more in the United States and Ireland.
17. A Mash Tun is a massive kettle that extracts fermentable sugars from malt by steeping the malt in hot water.
18. When first distilled, whisky is clear. It’s only after ageing in wooden barrels and the addition of a little caramel that it takes on its distinctive amber glow.
19. August 29th is National Whisky Sour Day in the United States. Why not indulge in one yourself? You’ll need whisky (of course), lemon juice and sugar.
20. Whisky never goes bad. As long as it’s in a sealed bottle, theoretically, it will outlast all of us!
21. Moonshine whiskey gets its name from the fact that when whisky-making has been illegal, it’s production occurred at night when it was harder for enforcement officials to see smoke from the fires used in the production process.
The answer to #6: Scotland. Ireland. Kentucky, Canada, and Tennessee are the five established whisky regions. New Zealand and Japan are well on their way to joining this list, but watch out for Taiwan, India, Australia, Sweden and France, all countries that are producing some truly excellent whiskies.
If you’d like to try some unusual whiskies, those that come from places other than the most common regions, sign up for a Whisky Loot subscription program. We seek out the most interesting whiskies from around the world and deliver them right to your door!