Whiskey 101

Whiskey has a strong history that dates back to the 20th century. The London Borough of Islington sued the publicans after taking issue with the whiskey the publicans produced in 1905. They asserted that the whiskey was "not of nature, substance and quality demanded." The judgment in the case determined that the publican's whiskey was not true whiskey. This decision had quite an impact on the Scottish whiskey industry. If the decision continued to have effect, the whiskey industry would have been ruined. This crash course on whiskey 101 can provide an inside view into the history of the Scottish whiskey industry.

Whiskey is saved

The Distillers Company, which was formed by patent still distillers, approached the government and asked for a settlement of the disagreement. A royal commission was created in 1908 to look at restrictions placed on the processes and materials of whiskey production. They ultimately decided that the word "whiskey" was not restricted to only pot still malt distillers. Grain distillers and blenders were allowed to call their products "whiskey" as well. This commission finding was an important point in the time line of Scottish whiskey history.

Mature whiskey

Questions still remained on whether whiskey could mature for a long period of time, with World War I having a severe impact on the industry. Because of the need to conserve grain, spirits were rationed and distilling was restricted. As a result, the maturation period for whiskey was required to a minimum of three years. This restriction set the standard that is still used today. Due to the taxes on Scotch whiskey in Britain, distillers took the product out of the country. The United States remained a big importer even during the Prohibition era of the 1920s.

Both Irish and American-made spirits are referred to as whiskey. Regardless of where it comes from, the popularity of this famous beverage still runs strong today.