Lesson 1.Some scholars believe distilled spirits were first produced between the 8th century AD and 9th century AD in the Middle East[5] with the art of distillation being brought to Ireland and Britain by Christian monks.
Health effectsThe health benefits of drinking alcohol in moderation (better health and greater longevity) commonly associated with wine appear to apply also to whisky. Most researchers now believe that the beneficial substance is the alcohol itself—although it has not been ruled out that other components in the beverages are also responsible for the beneficial effects.[10] However the frequent consumption of strong spirits, such as whisky, significantly increases a person's chance of contracting head and neck cancers[11][12]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisky#_note-9
