Whisk(e)y

(n.) A large umbrella of a category covering spirits distilled from a fermented mash of grains. In the United States, all whiskeys must be distilled under 190 proof, and bottled at more than 80 proof. The slate of acceptable grains includes corn, rye, wheat, sorghum, malted barley and any combination thereof. The precise mix of grains and aging methods contribute to the sub-chapters of the spirit, such as bourbon, rye, scotch, malt whiskey and the trio of place-named whiskeys (Irish, Tennessee, Canadian). Grammarians take note: When made in America and Ireland, whiskey is spelled with an –ey, but when made in the Scotland and Canada, it is spelled only with a -y.