Barley is regarded as the oldest cultivated grain in the world. It certainly predates rice in Asia. We can trace the consumption back to 8000BC in Syria. The Egyptians were the first to master distillation, originally for perfumes and balms. The art of distilling was probably brought to Scotland by the early Christian missionaries from Ireland. The first spirits were distilled in early medieval monasteries.
The Picts were already used to brewing heather ales from a mixture that included barley malt. The Christians added the still, the recipe scarcely varied. Whisky is really a form of distilled beer. The first historical mention of whisky dates from 1494 when the record shows the friar John Cor instructed to make "Aqua Vitae" for the royal household. It is from the Gaelic for "Water of Life" that we get the name "whisky".
The Picts were already used to brewing heather ales from a mixture that included barley malt. The Christians added the still, the recipe scarcely varied. Whisky is really a form of distilled beer. The first historical mention of whisky dates from 1494 when the record shows the friar John Cor instructed to make "Aqua Vitae" for the royal household. It is from the Gaelic for "Water of Life" that we get the name "whisky".
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