The Amber Light

Science aside, there’s also the cultural importance of whiskey. Scotland has a long history of poverty and economic depression and whiskey would be the one thing that brought the common folk together. Every family made whiskey and it was seen as something, not to be sold, but to be shared with your neighbors. Broom goes on to describe early experiences with whiskey as a rite of passage starting with his first drink with his father as a teen and then to a road trip with college friends.

Then there’s the deep dive into how whiskey has integrated itself in the song, poetry, and writings of Scotland. Like whiskey, the songs of the Scottish forefather were never written down, but passed on from generation to generation improving and advancing over the years.

“…the deep dive into how whiskey has integrated itself in the song, poetry, and writings of Scotland.”

The film then gets into the early medicinal practices of whiskey, when it was considered as an herbal cures for most illnesses. Finally, the politics of whiskey as some of the tribes or villages solved differences were solved over a bottle of whiskey.

The Amber Light a fascinating lesson into both the history and culture of Scotland and whiskey. I would say personally, I was riveted. The documentary, as a whole, is academic for the historian and sociologist in all of us and after the 45-minute mark Broom takes us even deeper into the lore of whiskey. I’ll be honest, I started to get lost here. Not to say the film is bad, but my interest in the subject started waning. I’d say The Amber Light continues to tell an interesting story and continues to be interesting for anyone who wants to know more about Scottish history. Weirdly, the deeper you get into the subject, the thicker the Scottish accents become.

The Amber Light is recommended to anyone, who is interested in the origins of our favorites liquors. The documentary provides thorough research about the subject. If you have a passing interest in liquor and/or Scotland, the first half of the film will satisfy your thirst for the good stuff.