Whisk(e)y Spellings: You say whiskey, I say whisky

"I drink my whiskey neat and I live my life messy."

Confusion on the spelling of whisk(e)y can be be easily explained by region and location. Since there are many types of whiskies such as bourbon, Scotch, and Irish and categories like wheat, rye, and corn based that are all regulated by country they are produced and industry standards.

The difference is the whisky spelling, without the “e”, is used in Scotland, Japan, and Canada. The whiskey spelling, with the “e”, is used in the United States and Ireland.

A few American made companies used the whisky spelling like Makers Mark, Old Forester, and George Dickel as a marketing difference, they are honoring their Scottish roots, or just because they can be that “guy”.

Now, go pour yourself some liquid gold and savor. For a more detailed explanation of whisk(e)y refer to our Navigating the Whisk(e)y River Wildcatter article.

“I drink my whiskey neat and I live my life messy.”

-Matt Baker