The World Atlas of Whisky

We all know Whisky Galore, from Alexander Mackendrick's 1948 Ealing Comedy if not from Compton Mackenzie's novel of the previous year. But, fortunately, one's surname does not have to begin with Mack in order to appreciate the benefits of whisky – drunk in moderation, of course! Indeed, if we expand the spelling to whiskey, as Mr Broom does implicitly in this excellent volume, you do not even have to be called Paddy or Bud and come from Kilbeggan or Kentucky.

Part of the reason for the appearance of The World Atlas of Whisky now is the proliferation of small...