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"WINE IS FINE, BUT WHISKEY'S QUICKER!" Ozzie Osbourne's song "Suicide Solution" lyric's ring true for anyone who has had a few shots of Scotch, Jack Daniel's, or whatever particular whiskey is preferred. Before the burning hits the belly, there's already a little buzzing in the ears!

Like other distilled spirits, whiskey, was created to treat medical ailments but soon became one of the world's leading spirits. Born in the Scottish Highlands, whisky was barely known to the gin-swilling Britains and the rest of the world until after the Act of Union of 1707, when the English tried to bring whisky distilleries under statutory control. The Scots near the border loaded up their stills and high-tailed it up north. A Royal Commission was set up in the early 20th century to determine methods of how the spirit should be distilled and the parameters decided upon are still in use and define an industry that is a central part of the Scottish economy today.

The word whisky, without the 'e' is mainly used by Scottish and Canadian brands while American and Irish brands add the e.' The name whiskey is another way of saying "the water of life," or, as the ancient Celts would say "uisge beatha." Similar to wine, Scotch whisky is recognized by the region where it is made. The single malts, named such because it is made at one single plant, are the most esteemed of the Scotch whiskies. This type is made entirely from malted barley and double distilled.

Whiskies made from unmalted barley, or corn, are called grain whiskies. The leading brands of whiskies, such as J&B, Johnnie Walker, Bell's, and White Horse, among others, are called blended whiskies and are made by mixing malt and grain whiskies together. Peat fires are used to dry out the barley, which has been soaked in water to encourage germination. Water is then added to make the mixture "malted." After being milled, the barley is turned into a mash that is fermented and double distilled in a traditional copper pot still, which causes the flavor to emerge.

Another factor that goes into building the unique flavor of a Scotch whisky is the oak cask in which it is aged. Used casks are preferred to new ones because of the "rough taste" imparted to the brewby the cask during maturation. Traditionally, empty sherry casks were used but more recently, used Kentucky bourbon casks are the method of choice.

As opposed to the double stilling process of Scotch whisky, Irish whisky is distilled three times and instead of open peat fires, the

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