History of Whisky
A Timeline
Whisky's story spans nearly a thousand years, from the copper alembics of medieval monks to the craft stills of the twenty-first century. What follows is an editorial timeline of the most significant moments in that long history.
c.1100s
Monastic Distillation
The earliest European records of distillation appear in medieval monasteries, where monks refined the techniques of aqua vitae — the 'water of life' — for medicinal use.
1494
The First Written Record of Scotch
The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland record a grant to Friar John Cor at Lindores Abbey for eight bolls of malt 'to make aqua vitae', the earliest documentary reference to Scotch whisky.
1608
Old Bushmills Licensed
The Old Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim, Ireland, is granted a licence to distil by King James I — often cited as the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery.
1644
Whisky Taxed in Scotland
The Scottish Parliament introduces the first excise duty on whisky, beginning a long and often turbulent relationship between distillers and the tax collector.
1823
The Excise Act
The Excise Act radically restructures Scottish whisky taxation, making legal distillation commercially viable and paving the way for the great expansion of licensed distilleries.
1831
The Coffey Still
Irish exciseman Aeneas Coffey patents the continuous column still, transforming grain whisky production and making blended whisky possible on an industrial scale.
1843
Glenmorangie Founded
William Matheson converts a brewery near Tain, in the Northern Highlands, into what would become one of Scotland's most respected malt distilleries.
1860
Blended Whisky Revolution
The Spirits Act of 1860 permits the mixing of malt and grain whisky within a bonded warehouse, giving rise to the blended Scotch category that would conquer the world.
1890s
The Victorian Whisky Boom
The final decade of the nineteenth century sees a dramatic expansion of the Scotch whisky industry, with dozens of new Speyside distilleries built to meet global demand.
1920–1933
United States Prohibition
The prohibition of alcohol in the United States devastates whisky export markets and reshapes the industries of Scotland, Ireland and Canada for decades to come.
1923
Yamazaki Established
Shinjiro Torii founds Suntory's Yamazaki distillery on the outskirts of Osaka, marking the birth of Japan's malt whisky industry.
1960s
Scottish Consolidation
A wave of mergers and closures reshapes the Scottish industry as global drinks companies acquire historic distilleries.
1988
The Classic Malts Campaign
Diageo launches the Classic Malts of Scotland selection, transforming international appreciation of single malt whisky.
2000s
World Whisky Emerges
Distilleries in India, Taiwan, Sweden, Australia and elsewhere begin producing serious whisky, and the geography of the industry expands dramatically.
2020s
The Global Renaissance
Whisky enters a period of unprecedented global interest, with craft distilleries — including a growing scene in New Zealand — opening on every inhabited continent.