Path: utzoo!censor!becker!ziebmef!berner!dvlmarv!watmath!rbutterworth
From: rbutterworth@watmath.waterloo.edu (Ray Butterworth)
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: Scotch Whisky
Message-ID: <23152@watmath.waterloo.edu>
Date: 19 Jan 89 14:36:39 GMT
References: <2555@looking.UUCP> <88Dec28.103546est.9269@ois.db.toronto.edu> <23127@watmath.waterloo.edu>
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 31

Subject: Re: Scotch Whisky

>  From derome@neat.ai.toronto.edu  Tue Jan 17 17:02:40 1989
>  I am learning something. Any reason why the spelling is different?

The big Oxford dictionary says:  "In modern trade usage, Scotch whisky
and Irish whiskey are thus distinguished in spelling."
The dictionary was written about a hundred years ago in England,
so they probably didn't know (or care) about any other types.

Seagram's published a book called "The Spirit of Hospitality",
which gives helpful hints about having parties and such things
that would require their liquors and wines.  It says:
"This spelling (whisky) is reserved for Canadian and Scotch whiskies,
whereas "whiskey" is used for other whiskeys such as Irish and Bourbon."

I really don't know of any real reason for the spellings though,
other than tradition.

>  Is it a matter of content? 

The contents are different, but one would normally ask for it by
specific type (I doubt the bartender can tell whether he heard
"whisky" or "whiskey).  e.g. Canadian (or American Rye) is mostly
rye, Bourbon is mostly corn, Scotch has a lot of malt, and Irish
has a lot of malt that has been dried over peat fires giving it
a smokey taste.

For more confusion, try talking about "Joseph Emm Seagram".
People will probably say "you mean Joseph E. Seagram".
In fact, the E stands for Emm.