T here is a growing interest in Scotch whisky in the United States, despite the fact many fans of adult beverages still have a measured reluctance to try the spirit. For this year’s National Scotch Day (June 27), CASSIUS will share a number of bottles and cocktails that will serve as an introduction and guide to Scotch whiskies .
As I’ve said in previous articles in this space, Scotch whisky wasn’t always my favorite adult beverage. I have friends and associates who I would consider knowledgable drinkers who swore by the stuff but I was mostly fond of beer and American whiskey. After some trial and error and the help of my publicist friends out there, I can safely say I have a greater understanding of Scotch whisky and an even deeper appreciation for it.
As my daughter would say, some people are pretty “high nose” about their whisky but we’re not into that over here. Drink what you like, learn about something you want to try, share knowledge, and further, the joy. Now let’s get to it.
Like most of the national drink holidays, National Scotch Day has roots that were hard to nail down. That said, I’ll share what I found on the Drink Holidays website.
From Drink Holidays :
National Scotch Day is celebrated each year on July 27, in recognition of the day in 1494 that Scotch whisky was first mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland—in other words, the first time Scotland’s whiskies were taxed.
According to the Scotch Whisky Association, Friar John Cor, a distiller at Lindores Abbey in Newburgh, was given 8 bolls of malt during 1494—a transaction recorded in Scotland’s records of royal income and expenditure. The malt was to be used for 1,500 bottles of aqua vitae—Latin for “water of life.” Aqua vitae is the distilled predecessor of the liquor we now recognize as Scotch whisky.
Scotch Whisky Regulations regulate the production and sale of Scotch whisky, and legally require their national whisky to meet the following criteria: Scotch must be made in Scotland; it must be made from malted barley and water; it must be aged in oak barrels for a minimum of three years; and it must be bottled between 80-190 US proof.
So, like bourbon and tequila, Scotch whisky has to follow specific rules before it goes to market. There is also the whole single malt versus blended argument when in reality, a lot of so-called single malts are also blended. The term single malt is vastly different from the single barrel term used in whiskies. What it implies is that single malts are a traditionally prepared Scotch whisky made using malt and produced by a lone distillery in Scotland.
Now that we got all the wonky stuff out of the way, let’s get to the point of this National Scotch Day post and check out some of the offerings below. Remember, drink responsibly this weekend, and do check back in with us via the comments section or on social media if we missed any of your faves or you discovered new ones.
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Photo: Getty
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