Spirited Rivalry: Did Ireland or Scotland Invent Whisky?

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged

Society & Culture, History

4.2 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 16 October 2025

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

There’s a divide between Scotland and Ireland as fierce as the Protestant/Catholic split during the Thirty Years’ War or the battles between Sunnis and Shias in the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. It’s the debate over who invented whisky.

Both Ireland and Scotland claim to have originated the spirit. Ireland cites its early monastic traditions and the term "uisce beatha" (Gaelic for "water of life") as evidence of whisky production dating back to the 12th century. Scotland, however, argues that its distillation practices, documented in the 1494 Exchequer Rolls mentioning "aqua vitae," predate Ireland’s clear records and point to their refined techniques in the Highlands. Irish advocates emphasize that their missionaries spread distillation knowledge to Scotland, while Scots counter that their innovations in barrel aging and malting set whisky apart as a distinctly Scottish craft. The argument often hinges on differing definitions of what constitutes "whisky," with no definitive proof resolving the dispute, leaving both sides to proudly defend their heritage. Whisky stands out from other alcohols, like beer, due to its intricate production process, which relies on advanced distillation technology to create a high-potency spirit from fermented grains. The use of oak barrels for aging imparts complex flavors, such as vanilla, caramel, and smoky notes, giving whisky its distinctive depth and character.

Today’s guest is Noah Rothbaum, a world-renowned drinks expert and author of The Whiskey Bible: A Complete Guide to the World’s Greatest Spirit. He reveals the history and lore of whisky. We discuss the possibly 5,000-year history of distillation and whisky, how phylloxera wiped out Europe’s vineyards and decimated the market for wine in the early 19th century but kickstarted interest in spirits, how Americans created a separate and distinct spirit, and the future of the drink.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	It's going to hear with another episode of the History and Plug podcast.
0:07.7	There's a divide between Scotland and Ireland that's every bit as fierce as the Protestant Catholic
0:12.4	divide during the 30 years war, or between Sunnis and Shias in the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s.
0:18.3	That's the debate over who invented whiskey. Both Ireland and Scotland
0:22.7	claim to have originated the spirit, and they point to different documents that claim so.
0:26.8	Ireland cited its early monastic tradition, and the term Ushkabaltha, Gaelic, for Water of Life,
0:32.0	as evidence of whiskey production going back to the 12th century. Scotland argues that its
0:36.0	distillation practices, documented in a 1494 source that references
0:39.7	Aquavite, predates Ireland's records and points to their refined techniques in the highlands.
0:44.5	Ireland says that its missionary spread distillation to Scotland, while Scots counter that
0:48.4	the innovations in barrel aging and malting set whiskey apart is a distinctly Scottish craft.
0:53.2	Now, both sides say that it's incontroverbial, but as we'll see in this episode, there's not enough evidence to argue one way or another. Part of this national pride has to do with what whiskey is. As an alcoholic drink, it stands apart from beer and wine because of its complexity. Wine can be made by squeezing grapes and letting the liquid sit for a while. Same with beer, with the exception that you have to pitch some yeast after adding water to some mashed green.
1:14.4	But whiskey relies on advanced distillation technology and oak barrels for aging to impart complex
1:19.5	flavors. It's like the difference in metal energy between bronze and steel. In today's
1:24.2	episode, I'm speaking to Noah Rothbaum, a world-renowned drinks expert, an author of
1:27.9	The Whiskey Bible, a complete guide to the world's greatest spirit.
1:30.7	We're looking to the history and lore whiskey, how it possibly goes back six or seven thousand
1:34.9	years, how it spread after its invention in the 1800s when an insect wipe out Europe's
1:39.7	vineyards and decimated the market for wine and brandy, how Americans were able to create a separate
1:44.2	and distinct spirit using corn and rye, and how in the age of globalization, when nations like
1:49.3	Japan, who don't grow any of the basic ingredients for whiskey, yet are some of the most famous
1:54.0	distillers, say about a particular drink that was once rooted to a time and place.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from History Unplugged, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of History Unplugged and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.