Uisce Beatha aka "Water of life" aka "Whiskey"

When I think of Whiskey, I used to think of that recent hangover it caused or maybe that deadly stuff that one swears never to touch again…. It may shock you however to discover that there is a whole other side to whiskey and this is the part that I hope to enlightened you on. I am no guru, just someone who appreciates the good stuff and doesn't believe in drinking it alone. It is a drink that is meant to be shared with both friends and strangers.

So lets start with what is the most basic of all ingredients for any whiskey – the water. It is an ingredient that is heavily used in the production of whiskey at each and every stage, from steeping the barley to condensing the final distillate. But before I start listing each and ever whiskey and its water source, lets talk about how Whiskey got it name.

Originally known as "Uisce Beatha", Gaelic for the "water of life", a name it was given by Irish Monks in the Sixth Century, probably due to the fine medical powers it holds. Over time, these words evolved to usquebaugh and eventually into Whiskey. Now, while it would be easy for me to seat here and wave the Irish flag on this beautiful nectar originating from Ireland, I would rather fly the Celt flag for both Scotland and Ireland, as the case that both have helped to develop this nectar into what the world now knows as Whiskey or Whisky is much stronger. Sure even St. Patrick himself is sometimes credited with the drink's first distillation.

Now I can't finish this section without going into the "e or not to e" of course. The general rule states that if it is from Ireland or the US it is referred to as Whiskey and if from Scotland, Canada or Japan it is referred to as Whisky. So, since I am Irish through and through, I will refer to it as Whiskey. But in also respecting my fellow Celt from across the water, if we are talking about Scottish Whisky, it will be spelt so.

So back to the water and what was the major influence to the location of many a distillery. Because of the vast amounts of water that is needed, distilleries were strategically located within close vicinity to a spring or stream. A whiskey master is always looking for the purist source of water that they can find and a fresh water spring is probably the most ideal example of this. The next best thing is in locating yourself as far up stream as possible, again in the hope the purist water. Glenfarclas' whisky for example uses water from springs that are fed by water from the slopes of Ben Rinnes. This snowmelt flows through the heather and peat, across granite eventually emerging clear, soft and slightly acid.

I hope you liked my first installment. Next time around we will look a little more in the process of making whiskey. Also, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to forward them on.