Did you know Whisky Used to be Slipped Onto the Table in Secret?

These days, it’s perfectly normal to set a bottle of whisky on the table, maybe even a few. But that wasn’t always the case. Back then, whisky bottles were hidden away. So what happened if someone fancied a dram?

If we go back in time, whisky drinking looked very different from today. Although the spirit was certainly being made, it wasn’t common or acceptable to display bottles openly.

In fact, bottles were deliberately tucked out of view. If distinguished company came over for a meal, the first order of business was to make sure every bottle was carefully removed from sight.

No whisky bottle was allowed to “lie around.” Displaying them proudly in a glass cabinet, as many do now, simply wasn’t done back then.

Whisky was something that happened more under the table than on top of it, figuratively speaking.
Drinking openly was considered improper, so there were social rules to observe.

If a gentleman of noble standing requested a glass of whisky with his meal, it would be placed discreetly in a small jug beside his plate. So yes, whisky could be enjoyed, but only when set on the table with the utmost subtlety.

How do we know this? These kinds of tidbits and other fun facts come up in the documentary The Amber Light on Netflix and, depending where you are, maybe on other streaming services. The documentary is packed with whisky knowledge and only takes up 90 minutes.

Give it a watch and discover that whisky is so much more than just a liquid. There’s a whole world of stories behind it and that’s exactly what whisky journalist Dave Broom brings to life.

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