In this beautiful volume, renowned whiskey educator Robin Robinson skilfully chronicles the dynamic evolution of whiskey. In the Middle Ages, monasteries distilled spirits initially to make medicine. After Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, production shifted from clergy to farmers and the route to whiskey began. In the 1700s and 1800s, as the British Empire colonised the globe, waves of European emigrants brought the beverage to Australia, Canada, India, Japan and elsewhere. Surveying the evolution of Scotch, the birth of bourbon and rye, and the importance of family ties, quality control, corporatisation and marketing, this comprehensive compendium details the global impact of the beverage conglomerates, the world’s most expensive Scotch, the 2011 surprising change to ageing bourbon in ex-port barrels and more. With gorgeous art, this is an inviting tribute to your favourite dram.