Whiskey and Philosophy

Description

Thoughtful essays on the history, significance, and pleasures of whiskey

Everyone becomes a philosopher with a drink in hand, but Whiskey & Philosophy takes this natural pairing to a new level. It explores a range of philosophical topics related to whiskey through engaging reflections written by philosophers, whiskey writers, and others.

You will learn things that are both practical (how do tasting notes vary across guides and whiskey brands?) and thought provoking (why is there the popular conception that drinking whiskey makes people mean, and is it true?). Whether your interest lies in the drink itself or in the philosophical issues surrounding it, you'll find something to interest you in this unusual book.

• Covers subjects ranging from geographical origin to stylistic differences between whiskey and Scotch
• Explores philosophical ideas such as the aesthetics, metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics of whiskey and whiskey drinking
• Includes contributions from academics, journalists, and whiskey specialists, all written in an engaging and accessible style

Whether you prefer your whiskey neat or in a Manhattan, from the United States, Scotland, or elsewhere, Whiskey & Philosophy is your perfect drinking companion.
Foreword by Charles MacLean.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction: Start up the Still (Fritz Allhoff and Marcus P. Adams).

UNIT I The History and Culture of Whiskey.

Chapter 1: Scotch Whisky: From Origins to Conglomerates (Andrew Jefford).

Chapter 2: Provenance and Authenticity: The Dual Myths of Scotch (Ian Buxton).

Chapter 3: The Heritage of Scotch Whisky: From Monks to Surgeon Barbers (David Wishart).

Chapter 4: Women, Whiskey, and Libationary Liberation (Ada Brunstein).

Chapter 5: The Manhattan and You: Thinking about a Classic Whiskey Cocktail (Hans Allhoff).

UNIT II The Beauty and Experience of Whiskey.

Chapter 6: Whiskey, Whisky, Wild Living, and the Hedonistic Paradox (Robert Arp).

Chapter 7: What to Drink? Why We Choose the Bourbons We Do (Mark H. Waymack).

Chapter 8: The Phenomenology of Spirits: How Do Whiskeys Win Prizes (Douglas Burnham and Ole Martin Skilleas)?

Chapter 9: The Ideal Scotch: Lessons from Hegel (Thom Brooks).

Chapter 10: Where the Fiddich Meets the Spey: My Religious Experience (Harvey Siegel).

UNIT III The Metaphysics and Epistemology of Whiskey.

Chapter 11: As a Good Bartender Might: Whiskey and Natural Kinds (Thomas W. Polger).

Chapter 12: Heisenberg's Spirits: Tasting Is More Uncertain Than It Seems (Jerry O. Dalton).

Chapter 13: One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Buddhist Theory of No-Self (Steven F. Geisz).

Chapter 14: What Do Tasting Notes Tell Us (Ian J. Dove)?

UNIT IV Ethics and Whiskey.

Chapter 15: The Virtuous Whisky Drinker and Living Well (Richard Menary).

Chapter 16: Nasty Tempers: Does Whiskey Make People Immoral (Dave Monroe)?

Chapter 17: Whisky and the Wild: On Preserving Methods and Distilleries (Jason Kawall).

UNIT V Whiskey: A Sense of Place.

Chapter 18: Peat and Seaweed: The Expressive Character of Islay Whiskies (Kevin W. Sweeney).

Chapter 19: Japanese Whisky: ‘It’s Called Queen George, and It’s More Bitched Up Than Its Name’ (Chris Bunting).

Chapter 20: Whisky and Culture: From Islay to Speyside (Susie Pryor and Andrew Martin).

Appendix A: Whiskey Tasting Notes.

Appendix B: Our Favorite Whiskey Cocktails.

Contributor Biographies.

Index.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Whisky escocés
• Philosophy
• Scotch

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 15 décembre 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780470615621
• Langue: English

Extrait

Table of Contents
 
Title Page
Copyright Page
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction
 
UNIT I - The History and Culture of Whiskey
 
Chapter 1 - Scotch Whisky
 
Whisky: Agricultural or Industrial?
Whisky and Origin: A Chimera?
The Whisky Distillery and Its Customers
Whisky and Time: The Sleeping Cask
Selling Whisky: The Inescapable Brand
Whisky and Difference: The Comfort of Consistency
Buying Whisky: The Flight from Complication
The Necessity of the Conglomerate
Conglomerate for Good or Ill
 
Chapter 2 - Provenance and Authenticity
 
A Brief History
Global Brands Emerge
True Believers
Can Provenance Be Rebuilt?
Meet the Peat Freaks
Does Location Matter?
Could Flavors Be Authentic?
 
Chapter 3 - The Heritage of Scotch Whisky
 
Medieval Origins
Aqua Vitae
Surgeon Barbers’ Monopoly
Early Farm Distillation
George IV Discovers Glenlivet
Illicit Distillation at Glenlivet
George Smith of Glenlivet
Queen Victoria and Royal Lochnagar
William Grant of Glenfiddich
French Phylloxera Plague
Blended Scotch Whiskies
Single Malt Whiskies
 
Chapter 4 - Women, Whiskey, and Libationary Liberation
 
The Conference
A New Era?
An Immigration of Sorts
Woman’s Spirit
Final Thoughts
 
Chapter 5 - The Manhattan and You
 
“A Manhattan? I’m Sorry, What’s in That?”
“Perfect I Can Do. Perfection I Can’t.”
“Delightful. We Do a Wonderful Manhattan Here.”
“Care for Another?”
 
UNIT II - The Beauty and Experience of Whiskey
Chapter 6 - Whiskey, Whisky, Wild Living, and the Hedonistic Paradox
 
Snortin’ Whiskey and Savoring Whiskey
Satisfying Pigs or Dissatisfying Socrates
Whiskey Rockin’ and Rollin’ and Rockin’ and Rollin’ and Rockin’ . . .
What Would Whisky-Drinking and Whisky-Savoring Dan (and Mill) Do?
 
Chapter 7 - What to Drink?
 
Receptivity
Quality in Manufacturing
Taste Profile
The Psychology of Taste and the Association of Ideas
 
Chapter 8 - The Phenomenology of Spirits
 
Types of Whiskey Rhetoric
Aesthetic Attributes
Funding
Ubiquitous Aesthetics
 
Chapter 9 - The Ideal Scotch
 
The Logic of Hegel
The Logic of the Ideal Scotch
The Ideal Scotch
 
Chapter 10 - Where the Fiddich Meets the Spey
 
Early Research
Tasting and Learning in the Home of Single Malt
God in a Dram?
Back to Reality
 
UNIT III - The Metaphysics and Epistemology of Whiskey
Chapter 11 - As a Good Bartender Might
 
Kinds and the Symptoms of Natural Kinds
First Pass: Liquor, Beer, and Wine
Second Pass: Bourbon, Rye, Scotch, and Irish Whiskeys
Conclusions, Such as They Are
 
Chapter 12 - Heisenberg’s Spirits
 
Are Some Whiskeys Better Than Others?
The Certainty of Uncertainty
There Are No Absolutes
On Objective Measurements
Taster Uncertainties
The Critic’s Choice
Heisenberg’s Spirits
 
Chapter 13 - One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One
 
Bourbon, Karma, and the Cats
From No-Self to Whisky Indulgence?
Momentary Selves
A Middle Path of Whisky Indulgence
Fleeting Moments, Aging Whisky, and Everlasting Reward
 
Chapter 14 - What Do Tasting Notes Tell Us?
 
A Few Words about Words
Of Numbers, Numb Skulls, and Numbskulls
On Experts, Authority, and Firsthand Experience
Informal Logic and Whisky
Critical Questions at the Point of Purchase
Concluding Remarks
 
UNIT IV - Ethics and Whiskey
Chapter 15 - The Virtuous Whisky Drinker and Living Well
 
Happiness: What Makes for a Happy Life?
Wherefore Virtues?
Aesthetic Virtues
Whisky and Living Well
A Dram and a Friend Are Never Very Far Apart
 
Chapter 16 - Nasty Tempers
 
First Round: Barkeep, Will This Whiskey Make Me Mean?
Second Round: Send a Shot to the Mean Property Thesis at the End of the Bar
Third Round: It’s Not Just the Whiskey Talking
Who’s Paying the Tab?
Last Call
 
Chapter 17 - Whisky and the Wild
 
The Analogy between Species and Distilleries
Aesthetic Value
Goodness in Variety
Relevant Histories and Knowledge
Conclusion
 
UNIT V - Whisky: A Sense of Place
Chapter 18 - Peat and Seaweed
 
The Traditional Peat-Smoke Character of Islay Malts
The Traditional Briny Sea-Air Character of Islay Malts
Is There an Islay Style of Malt Whisky?
Peat Smoke and Sea Air Are Expressive Qualities of Islay Malts
Was There a Change of Taste Because of the Visit to Islay?
 
Chapter 19 - Japanese Whisky
 
Bar Zoetrope, Tokyo, 2008
Glasgow, 1919
What Is Authentic Whisky?
 
Chapter 20 - Whisky and Culture
 
Scotland’s Whisky Regions: A Sense of Place
The Scottish Enlightenment
Localizing Whisky
Distillery Tours, Whisky Festivals, Brand Communities, and Brand Ambassadors
Conclusion
APPENDIX A - Whiskey Tasting Notes
APPENDIX B - Our Favorite Whiskey Cocktails
Contributor Biographies
Index
Other books in the Epicurean Series, conceived by Fritz Allhoff:

Steven D. Hales, ed. Beer & Philosophy: The Unexamined Beer Isn’t Worth Drinking
 
Fritz Allhoff and Dave Monroe, ed. Food & Philosophy: Eat, Think, and Be Merry
 
Fritz Allhoff, ed. Wine & Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking

Copyright © 2010 by Fritz Allhoff and Marcus P. Adams. All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada

The results from the experiment conducted at Stanford University Business School that appear on page 47 are cited with permission.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Allhoff, Fritz and Marcus P. Adams.
Whiskey and philosophy : a small batch of spirited ideas / Fritz Allhoff, Marcus P. Adams.
p. cm.—(Epicurean series) Includes bibliographical references and index.
eISBN : 978-0-470-61562-1
1. Whiskey. I. Allhoff, Fritz. II. Adams, Marcus P. III. Title. TP605.A.2’52—dc22
2009007425
Foreword
Much abused, by its addicts and traducers alike, it is a complicated simple, the whisky, pure in essence, but diverse in effects; and against it none can prevail.
—J. P. McCondach
 
Whisky (or ‘whiskey’, to use the spelling adopted in this book) is both an idea and a reality, and between the two, as T. S. Eliot observed, lies the shadow. 1 It is far more than liquor in a bottle: it embodies tradition and high craft, social history and topography, poetry and song. In other words, it comes with a pedigree, unlike less noble spirits, laden with associations that even the most cunning salesman cannot overlook. It is, quite literally, elemental, made from cereal grains (the quintessential product of the earth), brewed with water, made ethereal by fire, and matured by the action of air upon wooden casks. Distillation was one of the earliest of the alchemists’ secrets; the key words associated with the art—‘alcohol’, ‘alembic’, ‘alchemy’—all derive from Arabic. The first use of distilled spirits is likely to have been in religious rituals: Dionysian rites of baptism by fire in the fifth century BCE, early Christian Gnostic cults, heretical medieval sects like the Bogomils and the Cathars. 2 A lot to think about here.
To look at it another way, whiskey is a reincarnation. The coarse and heavy cereal grains are sublimated, the spirit leaving that earthly body, purged and disinfected, all but vanishing into pure nonbeing; then, by heavenly metempsychosis, returning to the world as a perfectly pure and impersonal liquid. Placed in an oak cask, a further transformation occurs, this time a metamorphosis, still today not fully understood by chemists. Dr. Jim Swan, a world expert on maturation, described it elegantly to me: “Think of the new-make spirit as a caterpillar, and of the cask as its chrysalis. After three or five or fifteen years in the wood, it emerges as a butterfly.” 3
With such a pedigree it is not surprising that whiskey has a potency and directness that other drinks lack, a quality of “spiritual instancy.” Aeneas MacDonald, whose seminal book Whisky was much admired by El