The spelling of this spirit is primarily determined by the traditions of the country where it is distilled. While the liquid is fundamentally the same, the presence or absence of the letter e serves as a sign of its heritage.

The Geographic Split

The different spellings are largely divided by international borders.

Countries that include the E:

• Ireland
• United States

Countries that omit the E:

• Scotland
• Canada
• Japan
• Australia
• India
• Taiwan

Why the Difference Exists

The variation began as a marketing tactic during the nineteenth century. At that time, Irish distillers were producing a spirit that was widely considered superior to other versions. To ensure that customers could tell their product apart from spirits made in Scotland, the Irish added the extra letter to their labels.

Because many of the people who established the spirits industry in the United States were from Ireland, they adopted the Irish spelling. Most other nations that began producing the spirit later followed the lead of Scotland, which is why the shorter version is more common globally.

Notable Outliers

There are rare cases where a brand might go against its national tradition. For instance, a few prominent number of brands in the United States use the shorter version to pay tribute to Scottish ancestors. These include Maker’s Mark and Old Forester. Additionally, the legal documents of the United States government still use the shorter version when defining the spirit in federal law, even though the longer version is more common on bottle labels. But for the most part, most bottles found on a shelf, the spelling is a reliable indicator of the origin of the spirit.

However you choose to spell it, whisky or whiskey, just know that you are enjoying a product of refinement over the past 800-1,000 years.