Imbibe
A little whiskey can make a cowboy frisky
By Sean Nakamura
The saloon doors wildly swing open, in the doorway a dusty, thickly stubbled gentleman in a black cowboy hat cautiously eyes the room, arms tense, as if ready to draw at any false move. Confident that no threat exists, he slowly makes his way over to the bar, the rhythmic click of his well-worn boots seemingly counting down a showdown at high noon.
At the bar, his raspy voice calls out, "Give me a whiskey, and make it quick."
The knowledgeable barkeep, staring the hombre right in the eye, replies, "What kind of whisk-ey would that be, cowpoke?"
Confused and embarrassed, the cowboy sheepishly responds, "I'll take a water, no ice."
Many of us can sympathize with the cowboy. The question "what is whiskey?" hides amazing depth and complexity. At its simplest, whiskey is a distilled grain spirit that has been aged in oak. Many, however, would be hard pressed, if they were asked, to name the different types of whiskeys, even if they knew that whiskey is made all over the world using some surprisingly different techniques and ingredients.
The origins of whiskey date back at least to the turn of the 16th century, when we know that the Scots and the Irish were already making the spirit, using techniques that are in many respects the same as modern-day production. They called it uisgebaugh, the Gaelic term for "water of life," describing the fiery spirit that would breathe otherworldly vitality in those who partook of it. It is from here that the name whiskey emerged (spell it whisky only if it's scotch), and the different modern interpretations originated.
Whiskey is best categorized according to its place of origin.
Scotch whisky
Arguably the most well-known whiskey in the world, all Scotch whisky hails from Scotland. Known for its dry edge and unmistakable smoky flavor, it is often drunk neat, over ice or with just a splash of water.
Scotch whisky is made primarily from malted barley; without getting too technical, malting is a process in which a grain is sprouted so that its starches can easily be converted into alcohol. Scotch whisky can be further divided into two distinct types, single-malt and blended.
Single-malts, as the name implies, come from single distilleries and each are interpreted in a particular, distinctive way. Blended Scotch whiskies are proprietary mixes of different single-malt distilleries. Generally smoother and easier on the palate, these are quaffable and a nice introduction to scotch.
Popular brand names include Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Balvenie and MacCallan for single-malts; Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker, Cutty Sark and Dewar's for blends.
Irish whiskey
Believed to have been the creators of whiskey (there is even a much-recited Scottish quote, "Aye, the Irish may have created whiskey, but we Scots perfected it!"), the Irish tend to produce whiskeys with light to medium body, with a crispness noticeably absent from the smokiness of scotch.
Though Irish whiskey can be drunk neat or with ice, it's most often thought of in America as the liquor used in Irish coffee. Popular labels include Old Bushmills, Jamieson and Tullamore Dew.
Bourbon, American whiskey
The first indication of whiskey production in America coincided with the arrival of the Scots and the Irish. They quickly established distilleries making use of abundance of corn and rye in America. Bourbon County, Ky., became a hotbed of whiskey production, and the namesake of American whiskey made in the local style.
Often richly colored and fuller bodied, bourbon is generally sweeter on the palate than its counterparts across the ocean. An offshoot of Bourbon whiskey, Tennessee whiskey emerged as a distinct variation with a quirk in the production process, the use of sour mash. Very similar in concept to the use of sourdough starter in breadmaking, this involves using a small portion of spent fermentation product to kick-start the new fermentations for Tennessee whiskey.
Typical labels for bourbon include Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, Early Times and Maker's Mark. The two remaining productions of Tennessee whiskey are Jack Daniels and George Dickel.
Canadian whiskey
Receiving not nearly the credit it deserves, Canadian whiskey merits as many accolades as any produced by the Scots, Irish, or Americans. Though lacking the great numbers of distilleries or the rich history of many centuries of production, Canada has created a whiskey with an individual character of its own. Canadian whiskey is known for its rich roundness and pronounced sweet edge.Typical brands in the market include Crown Royal, Black Velvet, Canadian Club and Canadian Mist.
Sean Nakamura tends bar at Alan Wong's Restaurant. He and Bobby Fujimoto trade off the responsibility for producing this bi-weekly column on drinks.
