Dram/Nip - This is a common word for a measure of a whisky, as in "Do you fancy a wee dram?".
Everything you need to know about this whiskey term
Dram is the most unusual term; however, it's the most common among whiskey drinkers. The term comes from Scotland and refers to a single serving of whiskey.
If you've ever given any thought to the oddities of bar terminology (a pastime mostly enjoyed after a few rounds at said bar), you may have wondered about the curious word we use for a small pour of liquor, the mysterious “shot.” Once commonly called a “jigger” of whiskey, the more common term “shot” is likely so ...
A handful of malt. The term 'whisky' derives from the Gaelic usquebaugh – itself from the Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha, or the Irish Gaelic spelling uisce beatha. Uisce comes from the Old Irish for 'water' and beatha from bethad, meaning 'of life'.
There are so different ways to say “cheers” in many countries all over the world, however, in Scotland, it's Slàinte Mhath! Irish or Scots Gaelic? The term Slàinte Mhath (Pronounced Slanj-a-va) is actually both Irish and Scots Gaelic.
SWALLIE n an alcoholic drink.
Uisge Beath is the Scottish Gaelic translation of the Latin term for distilled alcohol: “acqua vitae”, or “water of life”. Over time, the phrase uisge beath was shortened to simply “uisge” (sounds like “oosh-gae”). Eventually, uisge evolved into the word “whisky” we use today.
In modern usage, whisky is from Scotland and whiskey is from Ireland. The difference comes from the translation of words from the Scottish and Irish Gaelic forms. In the late 1800s, Scottish whisky was also very poor quality therefore the Irish producers wanted to differentiate their product.
Uisce beatha (Irish pronunciation: [ˈɪʃcə ˈbʲahə]), literally "water of life", is the name for whiskey in Irish. It is derived from the Old Irish uisce ("water") and bethu ("life"). The Scottish equivalent is rendered uisge beatha.
Neat is used to order a drink that is served with no ice or mixers. It is, quite simply, a straight pour of liquor from the bottle into the glass.
A shooter, or shot, is a small serving of spirits or a mixed drink (usually about one US fluid ounce or 30 millilitres), typically consumed quickly, often in a single gulp. It is common to serve a shooter as a "side" to a larger drink.
However, they can also be called shooters or travel bottles or min-bottles, or in the northeast and Scotland – nips.
Request it with a splash of water.
Most Scots drink scotch with a bit of water, so don't feel bad about adding it to your drink. All you need to do is ask for a "scotch with a splash of water" to have it added to your drink.
Scotch is an adjective in English, meaning "of or from Scotland". Many Scots dislike the term Scotch and some consider it offensive. The modern usage in Scotland is Scottish or Scots, and the word Scotch is now only applied to specific products, mostly food or drink, such as Scotch whisky, Scotch pie and Scotch broth.
Scots ask for their blended whisky by name and are served it neat (because ice makes it difficult to see if they are getting a full pour!) along with a small pitcher of water they use to cut to taste.
1887. William Grant fulfils a lifelong ambition and starts building his own distillery with the help of his nine children and a single stone mason. He names it Glenfiddich, Gaelic for Valley of the Deer.
This led to the production of aqua vitae, Latin for “water of life,” a name that was used for any distilled alcoholic beverage back then. In Gaelic, a Celtic dialect, it was called uisge beatha. These Scottish and Irish aqua vitae are the first examples we have of a modern whiskey-like beverage.
The main difference between whisky and whiskey is of course the spelling. This reflects the original Scots and Gaelic derivations of the word 'Uisce beatha', meaning Water of Life, with each variation being carried through to modern use.
Perhaps the most famous Scottish sayings of all time is “Auld Lang Syne”. This was made famous by Robert Burns' song, sang globally at New Year. The translation can be taken as “old long since” or “old long ago” meaning “days gone by” and when sung at New Years really means “let's drink to days gone by”.
Scottish slang for drunk…
Blootered, Steamin', Wrecked, Bladdered, Hammered, Sloshed and Smashed to name just a few of the more regular sounding ones.
Many pubs use "Inn" in their name, either because they are long established former coaching inns, or to summon up a particular kind of image, or in many cases simply as a pun on the word "in", as in "The Welcome Inn", the name of many pubs in Scotland.
Bevvy - For many people in Glasgow having a bevvy is a normal thing to do in a weekend, it is pronounced as bev-ee meaning alcoholic drink. 5. Hammered - After a few drinks of your bevvy you are ham-erd meaning drunk.