To “E” or not to “E”

To “E” or not to “E” – A look at when to spell it whisky and when to spell it whiskey.

You have probably seen the word spelled “whisky” and also “whiskey”.  Which is correct, and what is the difference?

The answer is that both are correct, really.  It depends on which country you are in, and where the liquid comes from.

In Ireland and The United States, the more common spelling is whiskey.  In Scotland, Canada, and Japan, whisky is the more accepted form.  The easy way to remember it is, if there’s an E in the country, there’s an E in the whiskey.

In writing about whisky, the accepted form is to use the appropriate spelling for that country when discussing a specific product, and whichever version you like when speaking in general terms.  I’ve seen whisk(e)y, whiskEy, and whisky/whiskey, but I think those can be a bit cumbersome.

For this site, I will use the whisky spelling, unless I am specifically talking about a product from the U.S. or Ireland.

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2 thoughts on “To “E” or not to “E””

  1. I may have missed it, but I believe there are also specific exceptions for individual products which have made a point of spelling their particular product in a particular way. I forget the specific brands, but a couple of American whiskys pay homage to a Scotch heritage by using “whisky” to describe their product.

    Meanwhile, I am looking forward to learning more here!

    1. Absolutely correct, Tom. Maker’s Mark Whisky is the classic example of an exception to the rule, and there are certainly others. Welcome!

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