Maybe it's because I'm at that age where it becomes a badge of honor to drink and know about whiskey, or maybe it's because whiskey has gained momentum in the US as a drink of interest; but I often find myself astounded by how much misinformation circulates among Americans about this category of spirit. This is particularly astounding given how popular it seems to have become, predominantly among men, to enjoy a Scotch or a Bourbon. I've listed below some basic things that people in my country probably don't know (but should) about this holy drink that so embellishes the bravado:
1) You're probably spelling it wrong. For all you supposed Scotch aficionados out there, if the drink is Scotch, then it is a 'whisky' with no 'e.' If it's Bourbon, Irish, Rye, etc., then it's a 'whiskey' with the 'e.' Note that this is not simply a difference in American spelling, but a substantive spelling difference that signifies whether the product is Scotch or not. Both the Irish (whiskey) and the Canadians (rye) use British spellings, but spell their products with the 'e.'
2) Whiskey or whisky, it's all under the same umbrella. Many have asked me what's the difference between whiskey and Bourbon (or whisky and Scotch), having no idea that these types are spelled differently, but figuring the thing said phonetically as 'whis-kee' is one category, while Bourbon or Scotch are another. These are all types of whiskey/whisky, meaning a spirit maid from fermented grains. We can further differentiate them thusly: Scotch is made mostly from barley; Bourbon mostly from corn; and rye with some preponderance of rye (these days rye is made mostly with corn, but still contains rye). Scotch must be made in Scotland to be Scotch, just as champagne must be made in the Champagne region of France to be called champagne (which means if you're drinking 'champagne' that isn't produced in that region of France, you're actually drinking a form of sparkling wine).
3) Single malt versus blended makes a difference. If you come across a single malt spirit, chances are it's a Scotch. Single malt means that the spirit was produced from malted barley and water in a single distillery. If the spirit is blended, this means it contains a mixture of two or more single malt batches from different distilleries. Though single malts are the heart and soul of the Scotch world, you can also find blended Scotch. Johnnie Walker, for example, is a blended Scotch whisky. Despite that Johnnie Walker is so widely distributed throughout the world and in the US, it's actually not a very good example of a representative Scotch, because it's a blended whisky (so if you fancy yourself a Scotch drinker and you've been clinging to the Johnnie Walker all this time, get out and try a single malt Scotch, dammit!). Bourbons (which, by the way, must be made in the US, like Scotch must be made in Scotland) are blended spirits, as typically is Irish whiskey (like Jameson and Bushmills) and Canadian rye.
4) For the love of everything good, watch the ice. I don't know where the phrase 'Scotch on the rocks' came from, but it's possibly the dumbest phase in all the spirit world. As a general rule, you may want to put an ice cube in a glass of blended whiskey/whisky, but you should NEVER put ice in a single malt. Since most Scotch is single malt, the idea of drinking it on ice is simply absurd. I'm shocked even at the number of US bartenders who will ask me if I want ice when I order a single malt Scotch; of all people, a bartender should know better. Here's the thing: if you were drinking a bottle of Cristal champagne, or a 50-dollar bottle of aged wine, would you plunk an ice cube in your glass? If you wouldn't, please note that putting an ice cube in a single malt is considered just as ridiculous. Just as with cheap beer (think Coors Light, Bud Light, etc.) served 'extra cold,' cold temperatures damage the flavor of the drink. It's intentional with cheap, crappy drinks, because the objective is to get you to taste the beverage's shortcomings as little as possible so you can get drunk and have a good time. If you've sipped a room-temperature Coors Light left out from the night before, you understand what I'm talking about. By contrast, tastier British ales, for example, are served closer to room temperature and with little to no carbonation so you can taste them properly. If you have a single malt Scotch in front of you, it was made for you to enjoy its complex flavors. If you put an ice cube in there, you ruin it all instantly. If you find the single malt has a bit too much bite for your liking, consider adding a few drops of water to liven it up but also dilute it a little bit. But never, ever, ever add an ice cube to a single malt. If you're going to do this, you might as well just save your money and buy a handle of Jack Daniels, which you can load up with ice 'till our heart's content, and taste as little as possible.
5) On mixing. For the reasons stated above, you can mix tasty cocktails with blended spirits, but please don't mix a single malt into a cocktail. Again, save your money and get something cheaper and of lower quality if your aim is to mask, not taste, the whisk(e)y. You wouldn't use a rare Bourbon or a bottle of Moet to make yourself a whiskey and coke or a mimosa; don't abuse the Scotch either.
