History of Whiskey and types of Whiskey
The history of Whiskey cannot rely on numerous historical facts, but we know that Scotland and Ireland have always contended for the authorship of the distillate. The first appearance of whisky in a historical document dates back to 1405, in the Annals of Clonmacnoise (Ireland) in which it is told the story of a local Chieftain who was death due to intoxication due to the distillate.
Whiskey became a symbol of American freedom in 1707, with the start of 150-year smuggling - during which the distillate was obtained and processed in the forests to escape the law. An Italian imprint was recorded in 1749, when a young Italian named Giacomo Justerini fell madly in love with the opera singer Margherita Bellino, followed her to London and - following the break up - decided to use the recipes of an uncle distiller to create, together with George Johnson, the J&B Blended Scotch Whisky. During the fascist twenty years, according to the precept of “italianizing” as much as possible the foreign terms, the name of the beverage has become "spirit of oats".
How many types of Whiskey exist? Many, which are mainly diversified by the origin of the distillate and - within this category - by type of raw materials used and blends used. Let’s find out together:
- Scotch Whisky from Scotland, which is produced in Scotland, of the highest quality. It is available in several subcategories: Single Malt Scotch Whiskey, Grain Whiskey, Blended Malt Whiskey such as Chivas Regal and Blended Scotch Whiskey.
- Irish Whiskey, which is distilled and aged in Ireland. The subcategories are the same as the Scottish distillate.
- American Whiskey, which is distilles in the land of stars and stripes and diversified according to the raw materials used: Bourbon Whiskey that contains 51% corn and is subject to an aging of at least 4 years in charred oak barrels; Straight Bourbon aged for 2 years as the Bullet Straight Bourbon; Rye Whiskey with a minimum of 51% rye and aged for 4 years; Tennessee Whiskey filtered through maple coals - like Jack Daniels.
- Japanese Whiskey, like the Tottori present in our Kuryoshi Heritage, one of the cocktails of the special box Postcards From Japan.
How is whiskey made?
The question arises: with what is Whiskey made - but above all, how is Whiskey made? Let’s start with the raw materials:
- water – usually spring water,
- cereals – the most common are barley (whether malted or not), rye, wheat and corn,
- peat drying malt
- and yeast
The preparation of Whiskey goes through the following processes:
- maceration of raw materials;
- fermentation to develop the alcohol content
- distillation to extract ethyl alcohol;
- aging in oak barrels, usually from 80 to 100 years of age,
- mixing
- and finally bottling.
In some cases there is more than one distillation process.
Alcohol content of Whiskey
Whiskey has an average alcohol content of 40% vol. There are variants that reach 65-68% vol. when full alcohol content, that is without the addition of water, but the general average is about 40-45% vol.
Calories of Whiskey
The calories of smooth whiskey are about 250 per 100 grams of distillate
How much is whiskey?
The cost of Whiskey varies greatly from brand to brand, based on the quality of the ingredients that make it up and the tradition that distinguishes it. We can start from 15 euros of the simplest bottles to be found to end with very valuable labels at least 1,000 euros per bottle. The more you want to taste the quality, the more you have to spend.
How to serve Whiskey and the best cocktails with Whiskey
The first thing to keep in mind is that, to best serve the Whiskey, the glass must be at room temperature just like the distillate. If tasted smooth with ice, better use ball one because it melts more slowly and water less. For lovers of smooth Whiskey it is ideal to taste it with a little running water (1/3 compared to the distillate) to lower the alcohol content and enjoy the best of tasting notes and aromas.
The Whiskey cocktail to try absolutely are:
Old Fashioned, which is a real icon, the father of many cocktails based on this precious distillate. The NIO Cocktails recipe includes:
- Bulleit Bourbon,
- Liquid sugar Toschi,
- Angostura Bitter Aromatico
- and Angostura Orange Bitter
Manhattan, which is a very elegant cocktail, reinterpreted by Patrick Pistolesi for NIO Cocktails with the following recipe:
- Bourbon Bulleit,
- Vermouth Cocchi
- and Angostura.
Boulevardier, which is a Negroni with Bourbon Whiskey instead of Gin, intense and enveloping as few others. NIO Cocktails recipe is unique due to:
- Bourbon Bulleit,
- Vermouth Cocchi,
- Bitter Campari
- and Angostura.
Brown Gold, which is very elegant and rich, according to NIO Cocktails needs:
- Bourbon Bulleit,
- Vanilla Liqueur Monin,
- Coffee Liqueur Monin,
- Organic citric Acid
- And liquid sugar.
Godfather, which is and essential and aromatic drink, prepared with Whisky and Amaretto.
Irish Coffee, which is a great classic that warms in winter and gives a thrill of pleasure if drunk frozen in summer. It is prepared with correct coffee with Irish whiskey and cream.
Whiskey Sour, which is an intense cocktails for those who love strong flavours, it is aromatic and strong. The recipe by NIO Cocktails includes:
- Bourbon Bulleit,
- citric acid
- and liqudi sugar.
Mint Julep, which is very fresh and refreshing and it is prepared with Bourbon, sugar, mint and water.
Rusty Nail, which is simple but with an unparalleled flavor, it is the cocktail prepared with Scotch Whiskey and Whiskey liqueur.
These are just some of the many examples of Whiskey cocktails.
Whiskey cocktails by NIO Cocktails
The NIO Cocktails offer includes the world’s most popular Whiskey cocktail :
Build your box and try them all!