Canada, India and Japan, the three other major whisky producers, also follow the Scottish spelling. The act allowed whisky blenders, for the first time, to create blends consisting of grain whisky and single malts. At the time, Ireland was the center of the world’s whisky production. Irish distillers were producing around 70% of the world’s whisky. Dublin, Belfast, Derry and Cork were the centers of Irish whiskey production.

Source: Forbes May 17, 2018 13:07 UTC