Scotland has been involved with whisky production from the very beginning. In fact, the word whisky comes from the Gaelic word “usquebaugh,” which means “Water of Life.” That was shortened to “usky,” and then became “whisky” in English. “Scotch” is trademarked by Scotland, meaning every drink referred to as Scotch whisky has to come from Scotland. Whiskies from other countries are called “whiskey.”The earliest whiskies were made in Mesopotamia in the 2nd millennium B.C.E. The Moors brought the distillation practice over to Europe for use in their monasteries, mainly as medicine. That’s right, the same process used to produce flavorful Scotch whiskies was also used to treat palsy, smallpox, and colic.Distillation was thought to have appeared in Scotland sometime between 1100 and 1300. However, legends state that St. Patrick brought distilling to Ireland in the 5th century C.E., and the Dalriadic Scots were privy to the knowledge when they traveled through Kintyre around the turn of the 6th century (500 C.E.). Whatever the date, grapes were in short supply on the island, so the brewers turned to barley instead, and thus whisky was born. The first recorded reference can be found in the Exchequer Rolls from 1494, which stated that a delivery of malt was to be sent “To Friar John Cor, by order of the king, to make aquavitae.”King James IV was a big whisky fan, as shown by his purchase of a supply of aquavitae during a 1506 visit to Dundee. Interestingly, this supply was purchased from the local barberthe beverage was still used for its medicinal properties even then, and the Guild of Surgeon Barbers had a monopoly on whisky’s production.The Scottish parliament began heavily taxing whisky production in the 17th century, and many distillers went underground to avoid these fees. They brewed their whisky at night to hide the smoke from the stills, gaining the beverage the nickname of “moonshine.” In America, the high tax on whisky led to the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion, where 500 armed men attacked the home of tax inspector General John Neville.The 1823 Excise Act legalized distillation once again, and technical advances like the Coffey Still in 1831 made the industry more profitable than ever. Interestingly, whisky was exempted during the American Prohibition and could still be prescribed by doctors and purchased from pharmacies. This fact was largely responsible for the growth of the Walgreens chain from 20 stores to almost 400 across the country.