whiskey

1. A distilled spirit made from fermented grains, commonly malted barley, corn, wheat, rye, or rice. The base of a whiskey is, in almost all cases, a beer.

Spelling Note:

“Whiskey” is the preferred spelling when referring to American and Irish whiskeys. “Whisky” is the preferred spelling when referring to Scotch, Canadian, Japanese, and most other whiskies from around the world. There are few regulations concerning these spelling differences, however, and producers may label their bottles with either depending on preference.