What is the most popular alcoholic beverage in Scotland?

Scotch whisky (often simply called whisky or Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two), made in Scotland. Scotch whisky must be made in a manner specified by law.

The Scotch Whisky Association estimated that Scotland's whisky industry supported 40,000 jobs and accounted for £4.37 billion in exports in 2017. Of that total, single malt Scotch accounted for £1.17 billion in exports, a 14% increase over 2016.

Scotch whisky tourism has developed around the industry, with distilleries being the third most visited attractions in Scotland; roughly 2 million visits were recorded in 2018. Some 68 distilleries operate visitors' centres in Scotland and another eight accept visits by appointment. Hotels, restaurants and other facilities are also impacted by the tourism phenomenon. The tourism has had an especially visible impact on the economy in some remote rural areas, according to Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs. "The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners like the Scotch Whisky Association to increase our tourism offer and encourage more people to visit our distilleries," the Secretary said.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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31 Comments

fdeisner

If you ask a Scottish person the above question the answer would be Scotch not whiskey as Scotch is more specific. What is the difference between Scotch and Whiskey? • All scotch is whisky but not all whisky is scotch. • Scotch is a type of whisky made from malted barley and water and inside Scotland only. • A scotch has to be aged for at least three years in oak barrels whereas there is no such condition in the case of other whiskeys. • Scotch whisky is distilled many times while other kinds of whisky do not need to be distilled several times.

Jim Mascair

I drink Scotch occasionally, but prefer bourbon.

JohnnyRoulette

fdeisner, and only Ireland has Irish Whiskey. I’m fond of both

Player

David Hill, Nah its buckfast

Christopher J Voce

Always a variety of Scotch in my cabinet - mostly Scottish but Crown Royal from Canada is a favourite.

Chandran David

Easy question!

Michael Doherty

Beer is the correct answer.

David Hill

WRONG ! It's vodka.

fdeisner

Chriss Crockford, Only Scotland has true Scotch.

DIVER DEAN

fdeisner, you are wrong about the distillation. The vast majority of Scotch whisky is double distilled. Irish whiskey, on the other hand, is triple distilled!

Keith Richard Mears

I think you will find that the most popular alcoholic beverage IN Scotland is beer, however the most popular alcoholic beverage FROM Scotland is undoubtedly whisky.

Lisa Rodrigues

In Scotland it's Whisky not Whiskey.

fdeisner

Maria Whitton, Not all whiskeys are scotch but all scotches are whiskey. The definition of whiskey is Whiskey or whisky is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from any form of fermented grain mash. Depending on the geographical region or type of whiskey that is being made, whiskey can be made from barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn. Scotch is from a specific region with a specific recipe which is a type of whiskey. You can make a comparison with sparkling white wine. Champagne is the only sparkling white wine that can be called champagne again to where it is produced and the recipe it is produced by. Prosecco is a sparkling white wine but cannot be called champagne.