Whiskey is made from fermented grains , water, and yeast, then usually aged in wooden barrels. The exact grains depend on the style, but common ones include barley, corn, rye, and wheat.

Basic ingredients

  • Grain: the source of the sugars that become alcohol.
  • Water: used to make the mash and support fermentation.
  • Yeast: converts the grain sugars into alcohol.

How it’s made

  1. The grains are ground and mixed with hot water to make a mash.
  1. Yeast is added so fermentation can turn sugars into alcohol.
  1. The liquid is distilled to concentrate the alcohol.
  1. It’s aged in casks or barrels to develop flavor and color.

Grain differences

  • Single malt whiskey is made from malted barley.
  • Bourbon commonly uses corn and is matured in new oak barrels.
  • Rye whiskey uses rye as the main grain.

Quick answer

So, in simple terms: whiskey is made out of grain, water, and yeast , plus time in barrels.