Dia duit, or hello to you, wonderful listeners, and welcome to another episode of An Assemblage of Grandiose and Bombastic Grandiloquents. For those of you are unsure, that there greeting came from the Gaelic language, which just so happens to be the origin of today’s word: whiskey.

Whiskey! I’m going to guess most of you are familiar with this word, but for those that aren’t, whiskey is a liquor distilled from the fermented mash of grain, such as rye, corn, or barley. It is a drink that is enjoyed globally, and can be drunk straight, on ice or mixed with other liquors or beverages. 

The word itself is borrowed from the Irish ‘uisce beatha’, from the Scottish Gaelic ‘uisge-beatha’ which literally means ‘water of life’, which in turn is from the from Proto-Celtic ‘udenskyos biwotos’ which means ‘water life’. Still with me? It can further be traced back to the Latin ‘aqua vitae’ once again meaning ‘water life’. This phrase was often used to describe alcoholic beverages - that is, water that is alive. You get the idea. 

Whiskey is produced all over the world, and is often distinguished by where it was brewed. Some famous brands of whiskey include Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey, Jameson Irish Whiskey, and Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whisky. You can see just from the names that many of these companies choose to identify their brewing origin in the name. Bourbon whiskey in particular is a type of American bourbon, usually made out of corn. Irish whiskey, on the other hand,  must be distilled on the island of Ireland from a mash of malted cereals. Scotch whisky is malt whisky or grain whisky made in Scotland, and all Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three years. The more you know!

Isn’t language wonderful?

Written by Taylor Davidson, Read by Zane C Weber

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