Whiskey in the Ruins
This first day of June, is apparently is the anniversary of the invention of Scotch whiskey – Gaelic for aqua vitae – the water of life – which is what the Tironesian monk John Cor at Lindores Abbey outside of Fife first called the distilled malt liquor he had concocted in 1495.
As the Latin entry has it in the Exchequer Rolls:
Fratri Johanni Cor…de mandato domini regis ad faciendum aquavite, infra hoc compotum viij bolle brasii
Which may be translated as:
To Brother John Cor, by order of the King, to make aqua vitae VIII bolls of malt.
Scotch is now one of the most popular drinks in the world, and the concoction has certainly lasted longer than the abbey. Sixty years or so after the first batch, the monastery was ransacked and destroyed by the apostate priest John Knox and his fellow iconoclasts, who smashed, burned and pillaged everything they could get their hands on in 1559, dispersing monks who remained, and leaving the noble building to fall into rack and ruin.
That is, until 2017, when the ‘abbey’ was re-opened as a distillery, with ‘Lindores Abbey Scotch’ as their brand name. I’m not sure Brother Cor would recognize what has become of his stone walls, within which he worked its maltish magic.
I’d rather the monks still made the Scotch, as is the case with so much of very fine Trappist and and other monk-made beer, as mentioned in my post for Victoria Day. As far as I know, there is no monastery making Scotch, even if the Buckfast monks in the south of England still produce their stout wine.
That could be a vocation for some of you young men out there – after all, there is a market, and this writer would certain purchase a batch or two to support your fine cause.
Carney’s Amoral Majority
After five defections – euphemistically described as ‘crossing the floor’ – and three by-elections, Mark Carney and his Liberals how have their coveted majority. One wonders what bowls of pottage were offered in back-room deals. In the archaic monarchical system that is the Dominion of Canada, this majority allows the newly-minted Prime Minister to rule[…]Continue reading→
Saint Kateri , Canada’s Protectress
This was the title given to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, by Pope Benedict XVI, when he canonized her on October 28th, 2012, along with six others, in Saint Peter’ Square (she had been beatified by Pope John Paul II back in 1980). With Saint Joseph as our protector, along with the Canadian martyrs, we seem to[…]Continue reading→
A Closed, Unsustainable, Descending Loop
As a follow-up to my thoughts on Payette’s payout, here be a stark image of where are here in Canada. As the graph shows in, well, graphic terms, since 2025, the public sector has contributed to 95.5% of economic growth. The private sector – which funds the public sector, or is supposed to – has[…]Continue reading→
A Tale of Two Benedicts
A grace-filled Holy Week to all our readers! As we await and prepare for the Resurrection about to dawn upon us, we might keep in mind two Benedicts: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, requiescat in pace, elected on this day in 2005; and today’s commemoration of the mystic pilgrim, Benedict Joseph Labre, who died on this[…]Continue reading→
My Name is Bernadette
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Presidential Pardon of Weronika Krawczyk
As a good news, follow-up to our story from Poland, of the persecution of Weronika Krawczyk for her pro-life views, we heard that she has been granted a presidential pardon. One might still wonder why one needs a presidential pardon for simply holding the long-held belief that the child within the womb is a child,[…]Continue reading→
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam and Suffering Joyfully
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam (1380 – 1433) was one of the countless and glorious ‘victim souls’ in the history of the Church, those whose lives are filled with suffering, often of an unimaginable intensity, but who suffer joyfully. She was a fifteen-year old Dutch girl, out skating one day, when she fell and broke one[…]Continue reading→
The Glorious Martyrdoms of Martin and Maximus
As we enter into Eastertide, we recall on this 13th of April Pope Saint Martin I (+655), one of the noblest, if most tragic, of the successors of Saint Peter. Born in Umbria, Italy, he was of noble lineage, with great intelligence combined with charity and love of the poor and the Church. While still[…]Continue reading→
Pope Leo and a Rosary for Peace
Pope Leo XIV has asked Catholics across the world to join him in a Rosary for peace today, at 18:00 Rome time (6 pm), which would be noon from where I write (EST). If you are able, whether at that time or another, and in whatever way you pray, to join in intercession with the[…]Continue reading→
Payette’s Payout
I was glancing through some headlines, and noticed a mention of Julie Payette – engineer and astronaut and sometime the Queen’s representative in Canada – which brought back vague memories. She was appointed Governor-General by Justin Trudeau in 2017. Ms. Payette resigned in 2021, amidst claims that she created a ‘toxic work environment’, with allegations[…]Continue reading→