(MJ) The wild yeasts of the atmosphere spontaneously cause fragmentation
of natural sugars. This produces alcohol - turning grapes into vine and
grain into beer. The art of distillation was used by mariners (to render
sea water drinkable), alchemists, makers of perfumes, and eventually in
the production of medicines and alcoholic drinks.
Distilling may have come from the Orient, via the Moors, to spain
and Europe. There is some evidence of distilling in Ireland at the beginning
of this millennium. The first indisputable reference in Scotland is an
entry of 1494 in purphase of malt by Friar John Cor of Dunfermline (the
former capital city) to make "acquavitae". In medieval times, much production
of alcoholic drinks was in abbeys. They were the centres of communities,
with their own inns, and were also centres of learning and science.
Aqcuavitae, "the wather of life", indicated simply "spirits". This
word, in various spellings, is found today in some Nordic countries, and
the French "Eau-de-vie" translates in the same way. Rendered in Irish-
and Scottish-Gaelic, the term becomes "uisge beatha" or " usquebaugh",
among other spellings. These Gaelic names, sounding to the English-speaker
like "uishgi", were corrupted to "whisky".
Like the original vodkas and today's gins, the first Scottish distillates
were flavoured with herbs and spices. By the mid-1700s, a distinction was
made in Scotland between these favoured spirits and "plain malt".
(The MJ part is to be continued....)
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(From Collins Pocket / The history of Scotch Whisky-making)
It is widely accepted that whisky has been distilled in Scotland for hundreds of years, and different
hypotheses os to its origins have been suggested. Spme state that is was broutht ingo the country by
missionary from Ireland; others point out that, as the Arabs were among the first to learn distillation techniques
, knights and men returning from Crusades could have brought the knowledge back from them. It may well
be, however, that it evolved simply as a means of using up barley which would otherwise have been ruined after a wet
harvest.
The name itself is derived from the Gaelic, uisge beatha, meaning 'wather of life'. The Latin
equilalent, aqua vitae, was a term which was commonly used thoughout Europe to describe the local spirit.
Aqua vitae made its first appearance in official Scottish records in 1494, with the record of malt being
sold to one Friar John Cor...
(To be continued....)
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