威士忌(whiskey)

任何由各种谷物的糖化醪发酵後制得的蒸馏酒。各国所产威士忌，由於不同的生产方法、谷物的种类和特点以及用水的特点，而各有特色。常在木制贮酒槽中进行陈酿。最早的关於威士忌制造的直接叙述，见於始自1494年的苏格兰档案中。苏格兰威士忌的酒体稍微淡薄，带有明显的烟燻麦芽香味。它们先由发芽的大麦制得，然後在泥炭火上加热、发酵、蒸馏产生类似的威士忌，再逐次用水稀释到按体积计含酒精43%。爱尔兰威士忌没有烟燻的特性，经过三次蒸馏，并且有时与中性的谷类威士忌相混合，以制成酒体较淡薄的产品。加拿大威士忌的酒体和香味淡薄，经常是高度加香的谷类威士忌与中性的谷类威士忌二者的混合物。美国是最大的威士忌生产和消费国，纯威士忌（含51%的糖化醪）和混合的威士忌都有生产，以分别混以酸性糖化醪和糖化醪制得。（酸性糖化醪，是用酵母发酵的，这种酵母包含一部分先前发酵过的酵母；糖化醪则是用鲜酵母制得）。波旁威士忌原先产於肯塔基州的波旁县，具有玉米（用玉米为原料）香味的特点。威士忌以不混合的形式和混合成鸡尾酒、果味饮料和掺水或汽水的威士忌等形式饮用。

English version：

whiskey

Any of several distilled liquors made from a fermented mash of cereal grains. Whiskeys are distinctive because of differences in raw materials and production methods. All are aged in wooden containers. The earliest direct account of whiskey making is found in Scottish records from 1494. Scotch whisky (this spelling is also used by Canadians) is usually somewhat light in body, with a distinctive smoky malt flavor; it is made primarily from malted barley that has been heated over a peat fire, fermented, distilled, and blended with similar whiskeys made by different distillers. Irish whiskeys, lighter-bodied and lacking any smoky flavor, are not malt-fired and may be mixed with neutral grain spirits. Canadian whisky, light in color and flavor, is a blend of highly flavored and neutral grain whiskeys. In the U.S., the largest producer and consumer of whiskey, both straight (at least 51% single-mash) and blended whiskeys are produced, derived from both sour and sweet mashes. (Sour mashes are fermented with both fresh and previously fermented yeast; sweet mashes employ only fresh yeast.) Bourbon, first produced in Bourbon Co., Ky., is a full-bodied unblended whiskey derived from a sour mash of corn grain. Whiskeys are consumed both unmixed and mixed in cocktails, punches, and other beverages.

参考文章

• 威士忌的由来饮食