Whiskey, or, Whisky

whiskey label

General Observations

Whiskey is, generally speaking, considered a man's drink. And, being a man's drink, whiskey is best consumed in a style of simplicity, that is to say, neat. Mixed whiskey drinks - whiskey sours, whiskey and ginger ale, et al - are fine, so long as they are not used as solutions for the problem of, "what to do with bad whiskey." That problem is more easily solved by the more sensible practice of:

Never buying bad whiskey oneself, and;
Immediately breaking off all relations with any relative or acquaintance who gives you bad whiskey as a gift.

Whiskey or Whisky?

Irish whiskey (all whiskey is a descendant of Irish whiskey, which is fitting, since all Scots are descendants of Irish forebears) is spelled with an "e". Scotch whisky is spelled without an "e". The plural is "whiskies". In Canada, Canadian whisky is the normal way of spelling the spirit.

Whiskey cocktails, such as whiskey sours, are certainly appropriate for either gender. The recipes that follow are from Tom Bullock's The Ideal Bartender:

WHISKEY PUNCH - St. Louis Style

Use a large Mixing glass; fill with Lump Ice.

One jigger Bourbon Whiskey.

½ pony Italian Vermouth.

½ pony Pineapple Syrup.

½ pony Lemon Juice.

Shake well; strain into Stem glass and serve.

WHISKEY SCOTCH HOT

1 lump Sugar dissolved in Hot Whiskey glass.

1 jigger Scotch Whiskey.

Fill up with Hot Water.

1 slice Lemon Peel.

Stir and serve with Nutmeg sprinkled on top.

WHISKEY IRISH HOT

Substitute Irish for Scotch Whiskey and proceed as for Hot Scotch Whiskey.

Of interest . . .