History Short: The Origins of Scotch Whisky

A Brief History

On June 1, 1495, a Dominican Friar of the Stirling house in Scotland named John Cor is the first person named in a written reference to Scotch Whisky, while the first known written reference to Scotch dates from 1494.

Digging Deeper

Although originally written in Latin, a translated version of the entry in the Exchequer Rolls is: “To Brother John Cor, by order of the King, to make aqua vitae VIII bolls of malt.”

Note that the description of the whisky, aqua vitae, means “water of life,” an indication of the importance of the wonderful liquid refreshment that is Scotch Whisky. You may also note that when referring to Scotch, “whisky” is spelled without the “e” normally found in American spellings of whiskey.

Another notable person named in the early references to Scotch Whisky is the apothecary William Foular of Edinburgh, who is named as providing aqua vitae to the Scottish court in 1506. Whisky today is a major business of Scotland, accounting for 40,000 jobs and a big chunk of the tourism industry.

Question for students (and subscribers): What is your favorite Scotch Whisky? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

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