History of Scotch Flashcards
What is the Latin phrase that means “water of life”?
aqua vitae
What is the Gaelic name for whisky
uisge beatha
Describe 1930’s Scottish Novelist Neil Gunn’s take on the discovery of distilling whisky
An ancient Celt observed the steam from his vat of fermented gruel into a spirit.
Trace the Scottish Gaelic origins of the word whisky (4 words) and the time frame they were first recorded.
uisge beatha (early 6th c)
uiske (17th c)
whiskie (1715)
whisky (1736)
Who is widely recognized as the “Father of Distilling”? Where was he from, when did he live, and what did he teach?
Arnaldus de Villa Nova
Born in Spain and educated in Sicily he lived in the 13th c., he taught alchemy, medicine, and astronomy.
Describe the origin and etymology of the term “alcohol”.
Arnaldus de Villa Nova distilled wine and named it alcohol.
The word comes from the Arabic al’kohl, a fine powder derived from kohl or antimony and used by the Ancient Egyptians as eye shadow.
Who were the earliest known European distillers and what was it primarily used for?
The earliest European distillers were generally monks that used distilling for medicinal purposes.
Why did the early Northern & Western European distillers turn to fermented cereals?
Because grapes did not flourish in the colder climates of northern and western Europe.
What was the first record of distilled spirit in Scotland and where/when was it recorded?
The first known record was by King James IV to Friar John Cor to make VIII bolls of malt aqua vitae in 1494.
How many lbs and bottles would eight bolls of malt make?
1,900 lbs and 1,250 bottles of whisky.
What did the elongation of the still head into a pear shape allow for in the evolution of distillation?
The pear shape increased the reflux of the condensate back into the body of the still so that there could be better separation of the spirit from the water. This also reduce carry-over of noxious impurities.
What improvement did distillers make to the condenser in the 15th century?
They positioned the condenser in a tub of water to better cool the liquid. Prior to this time, condensers relied on the surrounding air to cool the liquid.
What improvement did distillers make to the condenser in the 16th century?
The condenser tube was coiled in a “worm” shape in the cooling tub.
What two significant breakthroughs to distilling occurred in the 15th century?
- Cooling the condenser in a tub of water rather than relying on air.
- Elongating the still head into a pear shape to encourage condensate back into the body of the still with better separation and few impurities.
What happened in the 16th century that led to the growth of domestic distilling?
In 1560, monasteries were dissolved in Scotland and the knowledge of the monks was embraced by the commoners.
