Whiskey and Whisky

At Star Liquor we sell a lot of whiskey. A whole lot of whiskey. We also sell a lot of whisky. So have I lost you yet? If I have it is because of some of the subtle differences that if you are not in the business of knowing, you might miss completely.

Nowadays whiskey comes from all over the place. You can get bourbon from Kentucky, or New York. Scotch only comes from Scotland but Single Malt can be had from Japan and India and it is pretty darn good. Here is a little breakdown on some of the different whiskies that can be had at Star Liquor.

Single Malt Scotch is a type of whisky (notice that the “e” is missing, this is a spelling used in Scotland) that is made in a single distillery in Scotland. Made with malted barley, single malt scotch is distilled twice. It is then aged in seasoned (or used) oak barrels for at least 3 years and one day, though it is usually aged much longer. It is not uncommon to see a 25 year old or older scotch. If it is not from Scotland it is not Scotch, it is Single Malt Whiskey.

Irish Whiskey comes from Ireland. (HA HA duh!) Ireland is the country that gave whiskey its name. The word whiskey is an Anglicization of the ancient Gaelic term "uisce beatha" which translates as "water of life". Irish whiskey is believed to be one of the earliest distilled beverages in Europe, dating to the mid-12th century. Irish Whiskey is usually triple distilled which accounts for its easy drinking smoothness.

Bourbon, most people think, must come from Kentucky. Not true at all. Bourbon must come from the United States but about 95% is made in Kentucky. Bourbon must contain 51% corn and be aged at least 3 years in charred new oak barrels. Since barrels can only be used once for bourbon and barrels must be seasoned to age scotch, most used bourbon barrels are shipped to Scotland. Wild Turkey for example, ships many of their used barrels to Glenlivet. Bourbon also cannot be distilled higher than 160 proof and must not have any added colors or flavors.

Of course this is very rudimentary and completely ignores Blended Scotch, American Blended Whiskey, Canadian Whiskey and I am sure others, but those are maybe for another blog.

How to order a barrel of beer from Star Liquor.

So the only reason to write this blog is because Star is not what you would call a barrel store. What that means is we do not keep a large number of varied beers in different size kegs on hand. The reason this is true is our cooler is not very big.

We will work very hard to get you the barrel that you want but in return we need a couple of things from you. Advanced notice and a little patience. If you can supply those two things we will go out of our way to get you the beer you need.

The advanced notice that we need means that you need to call Star by 3pm on the Monday before you need your barrel. That is when you can talk to Adam (the beer guy) and he can talk to his salespeople to get you your beer. The more notice you give the better chance you have of getting your beer.

The patience part involves us finding out if the beer you want comes in the barrel you need. Many people think that any beer you see is available in barrels. That is not always true. Especially when dealing with smaller breweries or more eclectic beers. Most everything can be had but it takes time especially if the brewer is from outside Wisconsin.

One of the most important things to remember is just how much beer is really in a barrel of beer. Do you really need that much? How much do you and your friends drink these days?

Some rough numbers to remember:

½ barrel (the largest available thru retailers) = roughly 180 12oz beers

¼ barrel = roughly 90 beers

1/6 barrel= roughly 65 beers

You would be amazed how many kegs come back to Star half full. So maybe you just need bottles of beer. That allows for variety and allows for the leftovers to stay in the fridge for a later date.

So remember, call ahead, if you want something unusual call way ahead, don’t be surprised if what you want isn’t available, and be prepared with some options. That way you and your friends can be drinking icy cold tap beer when your party starts.