wheat (Triticum aestivum is the dominant variety) is one of the most common grains used in distilled spirits, although its use largely postdates the Industrial Revolution and the improvements in agriculture that followed it. Before that, in many places it was prohibited to distill from wheat, as its supply was allocated to bakers for making bread, a major part of the diet.
mash bill and whisky, bourbon. Wheat is common in the production of scotch grain whisky and German whiskies such as Owen (der schwäbische Whisky). Some American whisky distillers use it in place of rye in their bourbon mash bills to create “wheated bourbons”—popular brands include Maker’s Mark, W. L. Weller, Larceny, and the Old Rip Van Winkle line. See Maker’s Mark. There are also a number of majority-wheat and all-wheat whiskies, most notably Bernheim, from Heaven Hill. While wheat is most often associated with whisky, it is also a common base for vodka (e.g., Grey Goose) and gin (e.g., Death’s Door) and is used in making the qu that is a major component of some styles of baijiu. See qu.In general, distillers prefer “soft” varieties of wheat, which have higher yields and lower viscosity, making them easier to work with in a mash (the gluten in wheat means that it must be mashed carefully to avoid it turning into a sticky mess). Note however that buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), which is increasingly popular among craft distillers, is not a species of wheat; in fact, it is not a cereal grain at all but a fruit seed, related to sorrel and rhubarb. See cereals.
“Der Schwäbische Whisky.” Berghof Rabel website. https://www.berghof-rabel.hoffrisch.de/whisky/schwaebischer-whisky.htm (accessed May 4, 2021).
Thomann, G. Liquor laws of the United States, Part II: Colonial liquor laws, New York: United States Brewers’ Assoc, 1887.
By: Clay Risen