Whiskey or Whisky – The Classic Confusion

Long ago when people were still arguing about which came first – the egg or the chicken, came up another classic confusion. Whiskey or Whisky?

Whiskey is also spelled as Whisky. (Or vice versa, if you disagree) What is the right way to spell? Is whiskey different from whisky? And what have you been drinking so far – Whiskeys or Whisky?Let me kill the confusion here.

Irish and American whiskey manufactures call their whiskey as WHISKEY (note the ‘E’). While the Scottish and Canadian manufactures call them as WHISKY (without the ‘E’).

And since marketers & cunning copy editors also rule people’s perception these days – WHISKY now refers to Scotch Whisky. One modestly accepted opinion (which is still debatable) says that the Irish introduced the first whiskeys. The Scots, then adopted the Irish spirits and changed the spelling to WHISKY, by removing the ‘e’. Hence, confusing generation after generation of whiskey drinkers.

Perry Luntz, puts across out quite an acceptable argument. “No etymologist (that’s a word-derivation expert) knows exactly why the Irish spelled the wine of their country with an “e” and why their neighbors across the Irish Sea left the “e” out. It’s often used as an indication that the Irish had the spirits first and because it sounded like a broad “e” in Gaelic, they started spelling whiskey with an “e.” Under this theory, when the Scots started making aqua vitae, they wanted to point out the difference between theirs and the Irish. Hence, no “e.” That’s as good an explanation as any.”

Anyways, that is more than enough information. Here is a sure shot way to know what your whisky/ey is :

1. Countries that have E’s in their names (UnitEd StatEs and IrEland) tend to spell it whiskEy (plural whiskeys)
2. Countries without E’s in their names (Canada, Scotland, and Japan) spell it whisky (plural whiskies)

Sigh! Yes, I’m  having an information overload. Bring me a scotch!