Scotland is
famous for its whisky. Over the centuries, it has enjoyed a special
place in all Scottish hearts. It is the drink of
hospitality. In
Scotland, a
dram of whisky is offered to
guests
to celebrate a special occasion.
Whisky is drunk to mark the birth of a child, to celebrate a wedding or
to welcome
weary travellers to the home. It is also used for medicinal
purposes. A dram of whisky is said to help cure
minor ailments
such as colds, flu or toothache.
The word whisky comes from the Scottish Gaelic word,
uisge, meaning
Water of Life. It is made from
malted barley.
However, only the sugars contained in the barley are used to make
whisky. The rest of the barley is thrown away after the sugars have been
extracted.
Single malt whisky is made by one
distillery.
The taste of single malts can vary from year to year.
Blended
whiskies are made from many different distilleries. The blend
helps to ensure the taste is the same each year. Single malts are
considered to be the best. A
connoisseur
or expert can even tell which distillery produced the single malt whisky
from its taste.
According to tradition, the secrets of distilling came from Ireland and
were introduced by St Patrick
over 1,500
years ago. The first whisky was made in monasteries for medicinal
purposes. Until the nineteenth century, most distilling was done at
home. Householders produced their own whisky
to help pay
rents and for drinking during the hard, cold winters.
Whisky is popular all over the world and Scotland exports large
quantities of whisky every year. Scientists have tried to make whisky in
Japan, Germany and America. However, it does not taste the same as
Scottish Whisky. The cold northern climate seems to be an essential
ingredient to
ensure that the whisky is
matured
properly. As many Scotsmen will tell you, the world's best whisky is
made in Scotland! |
ospitality: hospitalidad
dram: copita, traguito
weary: agotados, cansados
guests: huéspedes, invitados
minor ailments: achaques o dolencias de menor importancia
uisge:
"Agua de Vida" en gaélico escocés
malted barley: cebada malteada
distillery: destilería |
blended whiskies: los
whiskies mezclados o combinados
connoisseur: experto, conocedor
over 1,500 years ago: hace más de 1.500 años
to help pay rents: para ayudar a pagar los alquileres
to ensure: para asegurar
matured: madurado
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