This month we focus on Irish Whiskey, enjoy!

Monks did a lot for Ireland. They painstakingly crafted the Book of Kells. They protected Irish antiquities in their round towers during invasions. But ask your average man on an Irish street, and he may say that the best thing monks did for Ireland was invent whiskey.

You read that right — monks invented whiskey. In about the sixth century, missionary monks brought the secret of distillation home from the Middle East, forever changing the face of Ireland. Irish whiskey is known all over the world for its smoothness and quality, and it has brought Ireland huge revenues over the centuries.

The original Gaelic term for whiskey, uisce beatha (pronounced ish-ka ba-ha) means "water of life." Even today, every European country that distills a native spirit refers to theirs as the water of life: eau de vie in France, akvavit in Scandinavia, Lebenswasser in Germany, agua de la vida in Spain, and aqua della vita in Italy.   Read more >>