FACT #1: IS IT WHISKY. OR WHISKEY?

Both! It's WHISKEY if it's from America or Ireland, but it's WHISKY if it's from Scotland or Japan or the rest of the world (usually).

FACT #2: IS BOURBON A WHISK(E)Y? WHAT ABOUT VODKA? JACK DANIELS?

Bourbon: yes. Vodka: no. Jack Daniels: yes. Gin: no.

FACT #3: SO, WHAT MAKES SOMETHING A WHISKEY?

You start with a grain, like corn, rye or barley. You let it ferment. Then, you distill it. Vodka usually comes from potatoes, so it's not a whisky.

FACT #4: WHAT IS A BLENDED WHISKY VS SINGLE MALT?

All the contents of a single malt whisky must come from the same distillery. A blended whisky comes from a mix of distilleries. If it all comes from a single barrel in one distillery, it's single cask.

FACT #5: IRISH WHISKEY VS SCOTCH WHISKY.

Scotch whisky is distilled twice. Irish whiskey is distilled three times. There are lots of rules regarding how each kind of whisky is made. Scotch, Irish, Tennessee, they all have different rules regarding ingredients, age, and kind of barrels used. Scotch whisky has to come from Scotland. Check it out on your bottles: Japanese, American, Irish and Canadian whiskeys never say Scotch on the label.

FACT #6: FLAVOR COMES FROM...?

70% of Scotch whisky's flavor and 100% of the color comes from the barrels it was aged in. (Flavour, colour for our Canadian and English friends!)