Whiskey vs Whisky: Newspapers & Style Guides

Throughout this series I have been looking for answers for two questions: Why does whisk(e)y have two spellings? and Why does the US favor using whiskey while most of the world spells whisky without an e?  The answer for the first question, as it turned out, is fairly simple and straightforward.  Whisk(e)y entered the English language at a time when spelling was not standardized (i.e. before dictionaries) and it was common to have multiple spellings of one word.  However, the answer for the second question is more complicated.

Throughout the history of the word, neither the US nor the UK have ever exclusively used one spelling of whisk(e)y.  But, since the 1850's the UK has favored spelling whisky without an e.  In the US, whiskey, with an e, has only been used slightly more often that its alternate. Mid-nineteenth century dictionaries and literature from the United States demonstrates that both spellings were used interchangeably without any geographic connotation.  However, after 1960 whiskey became the preferred spelling in the US. 

While I had looked at books, etymology and dictionaries I was missing one other influential written source: Newspapers.  Using the California Digital Newspaper Collection, which includes papers statewide from the 1840's to the present, I found that there was no differentiation between the use of whiskey or whisky in papers from the mid-eighteenth to early twentieth centuries. For some unknown reason, the use of whisky skyrocketed from 1880-1890 though almost none of it referred to aged grain spirits made in Scotland.

Whiskey vs. Whisky: California Newspapers | Create Infographics

I began to wonder what might have changed around the 1960's that could explain why the US started to prefer the spelling of whiskey over whisky and when the spelling's became embedded with geographic meaning.  As I continued to look at newspapers I discovered something interesting.  In 1950's the Associated Press, Los Angeles Times and the New York Times, all published style guides that, among other things, gave instructions on how to spell whisk(e)y.  These style guides are important not only because these institutions have large readerships but also because other papers, magazines and writers use them as a reference when publishing their own works.  The AP Stylebook spells whiskey with an e but allows an exception for whisky when referring to Scotch.  Similarly, the LA Times Stylebook followed the AP guideline for whiskey but they expanded their exception to cover both Scotch and Canadian whisky.  These style guides seem to be the first published sources in the US to link the spelling of whisk(e)y with a geographic location.  The appearance of these style guides in the second half of the twentieth century mirrors the changing preference in the US for spelling whiskey with an e and the idea that whisky (for the most part) refers to non-US spirits.  While it is certain that the AP and LA Times did not create these distinctions, the evidence suggests that they were the first to codify them.

The interesting outlier among these style guides was the New York Times.  From 1950 to 1976 The New York Times Manual of Style required its writers to spell whisky without an e in all circumstances.  However, in 1999, for some unknown reason, the Times made a 180 degree change and decided to spell whiskey with an e no matter where it was made. Everything seemed fine until late 2008 when an internet controversy erupted about the Times' insistence that Scotch whiskey be spelled with an e.  In February 2009, after a flood of negative feed back from readers about their one size fits all policy, the Times changed their style guide again.  They adopted the rule followed by the LA Times which spells all whiskey with an e except when referring to Scotch and Canadian whisky.

Since newspapers are one of the most prolific sources of written language in the country, it makes sense that the change in how whiskey and whisky were used would be reflected here first.  But, just like dictionaries, style guides are reflecting and permeating language as it already exits, not creating new words or rules.  That being said, these style guides provide the best answer for why the US began to favor the spelling of whiskey when in the 60's and why whisky referred to aged grain spirits made outside the country.

Sources Cited. 

Upcoming Whiskey Event November 13th

On November 13, 2013 the Women’s Initiative for Self Employment will be holding an event called “Wine, Whiskey and Wicked ROI: Microfinance the Works.” The event will feature tastings from a variety of wineries and whiskey distilleries as well as a silent auction. The proceeds from the silent auction will help support their work, “assisting high-potential low-income women who dream of business ownership.”  I found out about the event through a relative who works for the Women's Initiative at their San Francisco office.  Since 1988, the Women's Initiative has helped to create over 5000 jobs and returned $30 to the local economy for each $1 invested in their program.

The event will be held in the historic Banking Hall at Union Bank (400 California St.) in San Francisco's Financial District. Four wineries will be pouring a selection of their wines: Nobel Grape Wines, an importer or Italian and Israeli wines;  HKG Estate Wines based in the Russian River Valley; Andis Wines out of Amador County; and Cornerstone Cellars who make wine from grapes grown in Napa Valley and Oregon's Willamette Valley.

On the whiskey side of things the Women's Initiative was able to get three distilleries and four blenders/bottlers to pour some of their products. They include Alameda's own St. George Spirits, maker of their own Single Malt Whiskey as well as Breaking & Entering, a blend of Kentucky Bourbons. Old World Spirits, they distill Goldrun Rye Whiskey among other great spirits in Belmont, CA. Four Roses Bourbon, distilled in Lawrenceburg, KY. Bender's Whiskey Company, located on Treasure Island, they are blending and bottling some tasty 7 year old rye whiskey sourced from Alberta. Michter's Whiskey, they source and bottle a number of good whiskies distilled in the US.  Compass Box Whisky Company, one of the finest Scotch blenders in the UK, they make a range of excellent blended malt, blended Scotch, and blended grain whiskies. And finally, Pür Spirits, a San Francisco based importer of German beer schnapps, liquors and vodka.

The Women's Initiative is a not-for-profit so I believe the ticket s for the event are tax deductible as well as donations made through the silent auction or directly to the organization.  I am looking forward to trying some new wines and great whiskeys while supporting a an organization with a important mission. See you there!

 

The Details:

Wine, Whiskey and Wicked ROI: Microfinance the Works

Wednesday, November 13, 2013, 6-8pm

Banking Hall, Union Bank

400 California Street (at Sansome), San Francisco 94109

Tickets: $50.00 suggested donation.

San Francisco Bloody Marys

Not long ago I watched a Liquor.com video called “How to Make a Bloody Mary.” In the video, renowned bartender H. Joseph Ehrmann, owner of Elixir in San Francisco, demonstrated how he makes a Bloody Mary.  And, I have to admit that, after watching H make the cocktail made me want to try one.  Until now I've never been that interested in Bloody Marys.  There are a variety of reasons for this but it didn't help that my first Bloody Mary was pretty mediocre. In 2009, a friend of mine and I took a ferry across the bay to Tiburon and during the ride we ordered a couple. It tasted like watered down tomato juice with a hint of alcohol and a little black pepper.  After that the idea of the Bloody Mary just wasn't that appealing.

However, I've decided to give the drink another chance. San Francisco is a serious drinking town and it's probably a pretty good place sample some of the best expressions of what the Bloody Mary can be.  There are several bars around town that offer build-your-own Bloody Mary stations on Sundays for the devote who insists that their drink be made just so.  For now I'll skip these, and search out the bars around town that are known for being among the best purveyors of Bloody Marys.

San Francisco bartender and Liquor.com advisory board member H. Joseph Ehrmann says this is the world's best Bloody Mary recipe.

Blind Whiskey Tasting $20 and Under

View fullsize

In June, David Driscoll of K&L Wines wrote a series of post called “Drinking to Drink.” While the series touched on a number of things, one of the themes was how whiskey drinkers often correlate price with enjoyment.  Driscoll argued that just because one whiskey is $80 doesn't mean that a drinker will enjoy it four times more than a $20 bottle.  In that same vein he suggested that there were a number of quality whiskeys that could be had for $20 and enjoyed more regularly without breaking the bank. After reading this series, I was inspired to organize a whiskey tasting of bottles that retailed around $20 or less.  I was curious to find out if there was a whiskey that I had overlooked simply because it lived on a lower shelf in the liquor aisle.

With some help from another post by Driscoll and my own mental list, I put together a list of six whiskies around $20 for the tasting.

1. Buffalo Trace Bourbon
2. Old Weller Antique Bourbon
3. Jim Beam Black Label Bourbon
4. Evan Williams Black Label Bourbon
5. George Dickel No. 12 Tennessee Whisky
6. Bank Note Blended Scotch Whisky

I know that Bulleit Bourbon can also be found on sale for under $20 but my friends and I are pretty familiar with it so I decided to leaving it out of the tasting.  I also decided to conduct the tasting blind. That there are a number of factors that can sway the perception of how good a beer, wine or spirit is based on external factors like, what shelf it's on in the store, label design, bottle shape and price.  I wanted to get an honest assessment of the contents of the bottles without being swayed by some of those external factors, so I had my wife wrap all the bottles in brown paper bags before the tasting.

The night of the tasting a friend of mine hosted the event and provided glasses, snacks and still water. We tasted the spirits in random order in glencairn glasses, neat, at room temperature.  We each took notes about what we tasted and gave each spirit a rating.  Once everyone had tasted all the whiskeys we revealed each whiskey from lowest to highest score.

 The undisputed favorite of the evening was Evan Williams Black Label, the least expensive whiskey, which retails at my local Safeway for $9.99.  I had tasted Evan Williams only once before a few months prior and I thought it would do well in the tasting but I didn't expect it to come out on top. Next came Buffalo Trace and Old Weller Antique.  I wasn't that surprised that these did well for the whole group but personally I was shocked that I had rated Old Weller above Buffalo Trace. This surprised me because I really like rye whiskeys and I have never been a fan of Maker's Mark. I assumed that this meant that I didn't like wheated bourbons and that I preferred bourbons with rye in their mash bill over wheat.  But even at 107 proof, I felt like Old Weller was more balanced and had more character compared to the 90 proof Buffalo Trace.

Dickel, Beam and Bank Note finished in the lower half.  Bank Note is a blended Scotch, and for the price I still think it is pretty good but I suspect that compared to all the bourbons it stood out like a sore thumb, and not it a good way.  The results that evening are exactly why I like to do blind tastings.  My assumptions about what I do and don't like were challenged and as a result I now have two new favorite whiskeys under $20: Evan Williams, and Old Weller.