LuxeBook May 2022

“Whisky is liquid sunshine!” — George Bernard Shaw. BY JADE CRASTO “I ts origins lost in the mists of Ireland and Scotland, but both agree it evolved from Uisge Beatha which means water of life! They gave us Scotch “whisky” and Irish “whiskey”, the additional “e” creating a distinct identity and separated the two liquids”, says Shatbhi Basu, India’s first woman bartender. LuxeBook spoke to Shatbhi Basu, to truly understand the essence of the liquid’s charm and decode how anyone can enter its world. The world of whisk(e)y is said to be a very complex one. Whisky or Whiskey travelled across the Atlantic with dreamers who discovered the new world, settled there and rediscovered uisge beatha with grains from home and those from the new land. Thus, over time, were born corn, rye, bourbon and Tennessee whiskeys. And, of course, Canadian whisky. The Japanese too were inspired by Scotland but found a way to make their whisky distinctly their own, adding a touch of ‘Omotenashi’ — the art of going above and beyond expectations. Basu says, “Today heritage has given way to passion and young entrepreneurs from countries around the world as well as traditional distillers have taken a leap of faith. They are giving their everything to produce fine whisk(e)y and curate flavour profiles in ways that get more creative without taking away from authenticity”. There exist 12 different types of whiskies, each unique and distinct in their own way. Here’s a quick introduction to the different categories of whiskies that exists today. Single Malt: Is a pure malt (germinated and roasted barley) whisky from one single distillery that usually takes the name of the distillery or the place where the distillery Sudheer Rajbhar A Beginners guide to whisky WHISKEY G UIDE 32| L U X E B O O K | M AY 2 0 2 2 M AY 2 0 2 2 | L U X E B O O K | 33