A Brief* History of Whisk(e)y

There's no denying that the British Isles produce most of the very best (and most expensive) whiskeys in the world.  Just head to your local liquor store and compare the prices of Scotch, Irish whiskey, and Bourbon, then go online and read some reviews if you doubt it.  But why is this?  Why is this particular spirit made in so many places around the world, and why is the Scottish variety so much more prestigious than the others?  The answers to these questions, like many things, start with some monks who lived more than a thousand years ago.

*Obviously, I'm a terrible liar.

Irish Origins

Skellig Michael, off Kerry.  It's a UNESCO
world heritage site, and impossible to tour in
anything but perfect weather due to safety
concerns, which is saying something in
Ireland.  The monastery is at the very top...

First, a little background.  In the centuries after the arrival of St Patrick and Christianity, monastic communitites sprang up all over Ireland.  Some were remote and inacessable, like Skellig Michael, on a tiny island off the coast of Kerry, which can only be toured in good weather due to safety concerns.  Others became population centers and centers of learning, like Kildare, which has been a medium-sized city since the middle ages.  These early monastic communities were designed to be self-sufficient, often producing their own food, clothing, and, naturally, beer.

While many of the brothers (and sisters- many of the early Irish monastaries were mixed) of these settlements merely lived quiet, contemplative lives, one of the major goals of the early Celtic church was evangelization, the spreading of the Christian faith through missionary activity.  Thus early medeval monks from Ireland set out to spread their faith across Scotland, England, Scandinavia, and much of continental Europe.  Some may have even made it as far as Iceland or even North America, though there is not much evidence to back this up yet.  We know with certainty that by about 1000 A.D., some 500 years after St Patrick, Irish missionaries had made it as far as the eastern Mediteranean, where they encountered the technique of distilling perfumes.  They brought stills back to Ireland, and, being Irish, set about finding a way to use them to make alcohol.

Obviously, they succeeded.  The first mention of "whiskey" as a social drink in Ireland is from 1405, but there are earlier mentions of Uisce Beatha, a beverage distilled from barley beer and used as a sort of cure-all, to treat everything from colds and flu to smallpox.  The technique of triple distilling barley beer to make whiskey seems to have spread quite quickly to Scotland, where it's first documented in 1494.

Distillation seems to have mainly been done in monastaries throughout the medeval period, both in Ireland and Scotland.  This began to change, however, with the Protestant Reformation.  In 1541, Henry VIII ordered the closure of all monastaries in his kingdom, which included Ireland.  As the monastaries began to close, distilling moved into the home and a few liscensed distilleries (like Bushmills, est. 1608 with a liscense from King James I), where it remained until the late 18th century.

Whisk(e)y Spreads Around the World

As mentioned above, whisky is first documented in Scotland in the Exchequer Rolls (tax records) from 1494.  The document shows a purchase of barley by a monk "to make aqua vitae"- aqua vitae being the Latin translation of Uisce Beatha, meaning "water of life."  The modern English word whisk(e)y (with the "e" in Ireland, without in Scotland) is believed to be derived from the Gaelic name from the beverage.

Like many alcoholic beverages,
including beer and champagne,
whiskey was mostly produced by
monks in the middle ages.

In Scotland as in Ireland, closure of monastic commuinities by religious reformers in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries resulted in many monks setting up distilling operations in private homes and in more people learning how to make whisky.  The crown took advantage of this new state of affairs by imposing heavy taxes on stills.  Naturally, the Scots responded by setting up smuggling operations in order to avoid the taxes, so much so that by 1780, there were 8 licensed distilleries operating in Scotland, and about 400 illegal ones.

Eventually, the government took action.  The Duke of Gordon, on whose land much of the best illegal whisky was being made, suggested a bill that eased restrictions on legal distilleries while also making operation of illegal stills more difficult.  This passed as the Excise Act of 1823 and ushered in a new, more commercial era in the history of whisky.  (Not that that really stopped production of moonshine.  It's still common in Ireland today.)

While all this was going on in the old world, of course, Europeans were largely preoccupied with exploring and colonizing the new world.  The English started settling the lands that would eventually become the eastern seaboard of the US and Canada in the seventeenth century, and it wasn't long before Scottish and Irish settlers began to join them.  Mass emigration from Scotland began after the defeat at Culloden in 1746, and from Ireland durring the Great Famine in the 1830s.  And aside from the willing immigrants seeking a new life in the colonies or fleeing persecution at home, it was common practice for criminals, including whiskey smugglers and illegal distillers, to be deported to the colonies.

And of course these settlers brought whiskey-making with them.  Illegal stills became just as common on the frontiers of the British colonies in North America as they were back in Scotland and Ireland in the eighteenth century, and their products had evolved into the Canadian (rye) whiskey and Bourbon we know today by the middle of the nineteenth century.  During this time, imported Irish whiskey was growing rapidly in popularity in the US, especially in places like New York and Boston with large immigrant populations.  Indeed, by the beginning of Prohibition in the US in 1920, Irish whiskey was the second most popular spirit in America, after rum.

Meanwhile in Scotland…

Coffey stills, also called
column stills.

Traditionally, whisky was made by distilling barley beer three times in a pot still.  Irish whiskey is still made this way today.  But in nineteenth century Scotland, a new innovation was introduced that would eventually allow the Scots to dominate the international whisky market.

Funnily enough, the column still, or Coffey still, was invented in Ireland, by an Irishman.  The Irish distillers shunned this newfangled still and the less intense whiskey it produced, however, so Mr. Coffey took his invention to Scotland in 1831.  Realizing that the continuous distillation process of the column still was much quicker and cheaper than triple distilling in pot stills and resulted in a smoother product, the Scottish distillers took to it very quickly.

The Coffey still, as it turned out, really was a godsend for the previously underrated Scottish whisky industry.  Its smoother product increased the appeal of Scotch to a much wider audience than before, for one thing.  For another, because Irish whiskey had been wildly popular in America prior to prohibiton, when importing to the US became illegal, the market for Irish whiskey crashed, and many distilleries closed.  This, as well as the much quicker production time allowed by the Coffey still, meant that when Prohibition was repealed in 1933, Scottish distillers were better able to meet the new demand form the American market.  Add to the equation the fact that many GIs aquired the taste for Scotch while stationed in Britian during World War II, and we begin to see why Scottish distillers were able to market their whisky so effectively in the last sixty years.  (Yes, of course it's all a marketing ploy.  As with any other food or drink, the best whisk(e)y is really just a matter of personal taste.)

Back on This Side of the Pond:

Oddly enough, Prohibition and World War II also provided a boost to the US market for American-made Bourbon.  Obviously, the commercial distilleries had to close down during Prohibition, but making liquor illegal to buy or sell didn't do much to curb demand.  When the law prevented importers   from selling spirits in the US, American distillers with little regard for the law, many descended from those who had first brought the technique of whiskey-making to North America, saw an opportunity.

Prohibition in the 1920s
ushered in a new era of
organized crime, mostly
devoted to selling black
market alcohol, often to
congressmen and
Senators.  

The price of a drink in the US doubled between 1920 and 1930, since so much of the supply was cut off without much of a decrease in demand, which meant a small distiller could make a good profit selling contraband whiskey on the black market.  The result was that illegal distilling and smuggling became as common in 1920's America as they had been in late 18th century Scotland.

As we saw above, when Prohibition came to an end in 1933, the Scottish distillers were the first to be able to meet the demand of the American market, since the closure of all the large American distilleries in the 1920's had set back Bourbon production by several years.  Just as they got to producing again, many had to shut down or start making industrial alcohol for the war effort after the US entered World War II in December 1941.  Fortunately, they could still sell whatever stock they had on-hand, and simple geography gave them an advantage over Scottish distillers, who were still importing whisky to the US during the war: supply may have been limited, but American distillers didn't run the risk of losing shipments to U-boats on the way to cities like New York and Chicago.  While Bourbon has never developed the same snob appeal as Scotch, this small edge during wartime allowed Bourbon to establish a small foothold in a market that would be dominated by imported whisky for the next several decades.

Current Trends

The Japanese hoped to
get a piece of the huge
Asian market for
luxury goods, like Scotch,
and promptly found
themselves in a legal
battle over labeling.  

As discussed above, a little innovation, a little good luck, and a natural affinity for marketing have made Scotch the most sought-after and expensive whiskey in the world.  So much so that Japanese distillers have tried to mimic Scottish single malts in order to get in on the profits (they are prevented by law from labeling their products as "Scotch," since they're not made in Scotland).  However, this has begun to change in the last decade or so.  

In recent  years, Irish whiskey and Bourbon have experienced an upswing in popularity in the US.  The willingness of younger drinkers to experiment has been wonderful for small distillers, just like it has for craft brewers, and in the economy of the past decade, their lower price-point appeals to many Americans.  Of course, Scotland continues to compete.  While Ireland and the US also have their premium products, none of these really have the snob appeal of the top-of-the-line Scotches yet, and many of the young Americans buying Irish whiskey and Bourbon also buy Scotch, and will likely continue to do so, especially as their incomes increase.  

Regardless, it's nice to see that one of the world's oldest spirits still has a strong following in spite of the popularity of flavored vodka and jello shots.  One can only hope that the recent trend towards the traditional in food and beer bleeds over into the liquor market; there's a certain degree of class in old-fashioned whiskey cocktails and quality liquors sipped neat that fruity drinks lack, and it would be a pity to lose such a large piece of our history to beverages with names like "sex on the beach."

So get out there and start experimenting!  If you're new to whiskey, I'd recommend starting with a mid-range aged Irish whiskey, like Jameson's 12-year-old, mixed with a little water.  Those are generally quite smooth, and won't cost you too much if you don't like them.  If you want to taste a lot without spending too much, though, your liquor store probably has mini "sample" bottles, for only a few dollars each, which are a much less risky way of trying something new.  I plan to (eventually) post whisk(e)y guides here, but in the meantime, knowledgable liquor store staff and bartenders are probably your best resources if you need a recommendation.  (Which isn't to say that I wouldn't be happy to answer any questions posted in the comments.  It's just that a lot of people know more about tasting notes of specific whiskeys than I do!  Still, I'm always happy to share the results of my experimentations.)

Pork and Apple Pies

Meat pies have long been a staple in British kitchens and pubs.  The practice of encasing meats in pastry while roasting to keep the juices in was introduced in the middle ages, though at first, the pastry was discarded before serving.  It wasn't long, however, before chefs realized that leaving the meat in the pastry was delicious too, and they quickly started adding gravy, vegetables, and herbs.  Those pies, served hot or cold, have graced the table at many royal banquets throughout the centuries, and were often eaten by commoners as an easy on-the-go meal.

These are not at all the traditional English Melton Mowbray pork pie.  Those pies, popularized as "fast food" in the eighteenth century and comprised of a hot water pastry shell filled with pork and gelatin, looked like far more effort than I felt like expending on my day off, and require things like pig's feet not easy to find in the Denver area.  I've never even attempted hot water pastry, and didn't feel like trying to find lard at the grocery store.

So instead I improvised.  Using the French-style tart dough I use for all my fruit pies, the granny smith apples I had in the fridge, an onion, some diced pork, and a few slices of bacon, I concocted what I hoped would be a nice, hot dinner for a cold and rainy evening.  And they turned out wonderfully!  The apple, onion, and sage complimented the pork perfectly, and they were wonderful hot out of the oven and cold later in the evening!

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

• 6 tbs butter
• 1 cup AP flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 egg

For the Filling:

• 1/2 lb diced pork
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 granny smith apple
• 5 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 tbs chopped fresh sage
• 1 cup chicken or veggie stock
• 2 tbs flour
• pinch of mustard powder
• pinch of garlic powder
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

First, make the crust*.  Cube the butter, and combine with flour in a medium bowl.  When dough forms a craggy ball, add water a little at a time until a smooth dough is formed.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Next, make the filling.  Cut the pork into 1" pieces, and cut the bacon into small pieces.  Dice the apple and chop the onion and sage.  In a large bowl, combine flour, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.  Toss the meat in the flour mixture.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan.  Place the meat in the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring periodically, until it begins to cook, about 6 minutes.  Add the onion, apple, and sage and continue to cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 more minutes.  Add salt and pepper as desired.  Transfer to a large heatproof bowl, and set aside.

Add the chicken broth to the frying pan over medium heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.  This will collect any caramelized meat juices and sediment left over in the pan.  While the broth is cooking, preheat oven to 350F.  Divide the pie filling between 6 ramekins.  Once the broth has mostly evaporated, pour it over the filling in the ramekins.

Divide the crust into 6 golfball sized pieces.  Roll each one out and place it on top of one of the pies.  Make an egg wash by beating the egg with a little water, and brush this over the top of each pie.  Cut a small vent in the middle of each crust, and place pies in the preheated oven.  Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, then lower the oven temp to 325F for a further 45 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

*If making pie crust isn't something you really want to do, you could just as easily use store-bought puff pastry, cut to fit your pie dishes.

Scotch Eggs

Only in Scotland would someone decide that the most appropriate thing to do with a soft boiled egg is to wrap it in sausage, roll it in breadcrumbs, and then deep fry it.  Because salt and pepper just aren't good enough, and everything could do with being a bit more fried…

In all seriousness, though, Scotch eggs were originally created as an on-the-go meal for long carriage trips, probably sometime in the eighteenth century, and have since become a pub staple in Britain.  And really, eggs wrapped in sausage?  What's not to love?  They're high in protein, and could probably be made gluten free by using some substitute for the breadcrumbs (almond flour, perhaps?), if you're inclined to do that sort of thing.

I've been wanting to try these for some time, and when shepherd's pie just sounded like too much effort by the time I got off work today (which is definitely a testament to my laziness), I decided to give it a go.  How much work could boiling and frying some eggs possibly be, after all?

As it turns out, not much.  These were extremely quick and easy to make; the entire process took me about an hour.   And they're great hot or cold, so you can do them ahead of time.  Also, they're designed to be portable, and therefore an excellent picnic food, which is perfect now that spring has arrived.

Ingredients:

• 7 large eggs
• 1 lb bratwurst or other savory sausage, removed from casings
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder (optional)
• vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions:

Place 6 eggs in a large pot or saucepan and just cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil, and promptly remove from heat.  Cover, and let stand for 6 minutes or so.*  Remove eggs from water and place in cold water to stop cooking.

While the eggs are cooking, divide the sausage into 6 even balls.  Whisk together the flour and mustard in a small bowl.  In a separate bowl, beat the remaining egg.  Pour vegetable oil into a thick-bottomed saucepan, about 1-2" deep and heat over medium heat.

Peel the boiled eggs.  Squish the sausage balls into patties, and wrap each egg in sausage.  Roll each one in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg, and then roll in breadcrumbs.  Check that the oil is hot enough by dropping a scrap of sausage into the pan.  If it sinks, the oil is too cool; if it sizzles and floats to the top, the oil is ready.  Fry the eggs in batches of two or three, until the outsides are browned.  Cut into quarters to serve.

* I left the eggs in the hot water for 6 minutes so the yolks were still a little runny.  However, I live in Denver, at 5280 feet.  At lower altitudes, you should probably only cook the eggs for 4-5 minutes.

Currant Scones

I said before in my Simple Scottish Scones post that fruit scones like you see in the US aren't really traditional.  That doesn't mean they're not delicious, however, and I had some dried red currants left over from my Irish (American) Soda Bread experiments, so I decided to make some currant scones.

They're very simple to make.  I simply took my basic scone recipe and added some currants, plus sprinkled a little sugar on top before putting them in the oven.  The resulting scone is still light and buttery, but a bit sweeter than the plain scones.  Naturally, I still recommend splitting the scones and filling them with butter and blackcurrant jelly, like I did with the traditional ones.  These are perfect for tea parties, breakfast, or an afternoon treat!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup AP flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 4 tbs butter, plus  more for spreading
• 2 tbs sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup dried red currants
• 1 egg 
• 1 tbs water
• blackcurrant jelly

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 425F, and sprinkle a baking sheet with flour.  Combine flour and baking powder in a medium bowl.  Rub in the butter, until the mixture reaches a sand-like texture.  Stir in the sugar and currants, then add the milk and stir until combined.  Turn the mixture out onto a floured surface and knead very briefly until it forms a smooth dough.  Roll the dough out 3/4 inch thick, and cut into triangles or squares with a butter knife.*

Make an egg wash by beating the egg with the water.  Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash, sprinkle lightly with sugar, place on the baking sheet, and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until they've risen and are golden brown.  Let cool briefly, then split with a butter knife and fill with butter and blackcurrant jam.


These are best straight out of the oven, but will keep for a few days in a sealed container at room temperature.  Just don't put the butter and jam in any scones you plan on saving; they'll get soggy.

*Thrifty Scotswoman's tip: traditionally, Scottish scones are cut into circles with a cookie cutter.  While this works well, re-rolling and kneading the scraps to use more of the dough can result in tough scones, and no matter how many times you roll the dough out, you will still end up wasting some.  It's quicker and less wasteful to cut the scones into squares or triangles.

Happy Easter! Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns, hot cross buns… Are you singing it in your head yet?  I can't help hearing the melody every time I think of the traditional Easter treat.  Yet many people in the western US have probably never seen actual hot cross buns.  Some bakeries carry them this time of year, but if you want to add this traditional British and Irish touch to your Easter brunch, it's probably easiest to make them yourself.

So what are hot cross buns?  They're slightly sweet rolls with spices and fruit, common in Ireland throughout the Easter season.  They're a great brunch or afternoon tea item, but not sweet enough for dessert.  They are yeast rolls, so allow at least 2 1/2 hours to make these (though you absolutely can make them the night before your brunch).





Ingredients:

• 4 cups AP flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup (8 tbs) butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp each allspice and nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mixed dried fruit, such as raisins, currants, or cherries
• zest of 1 orange

For the glaze:

• 1 egg
• 1 tbs water

For the cross:

• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbs powdered sugar
• 1 tbs butter, melted

Instructions:

Heat the milk and butter on the stove until the butter melts and the milk just begins to steam.  Stir in the sugar and yeast and let stand for 10 minutes or so, until the mixture becomes foamy.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, spices, and salt.  Slowly add the milk mixture, stirring.  Add the eggs one at a time, then the fruit and orange zest, mixing to combine.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and shiny.  Return the dough to the bowl, lightly oiled, cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 12-15 even balls.  Turn each ball inside out, pinching the bottoms together.  Set them pinched side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cover loosely, and set aside to rise for another 30 minutes or so, until doubled in size.

Pre-heat the oven to 400F.  Make the glaze by whisking together the egg and water.  Lightly brush the buns with the glaze, then make the crosses.  Mix together all ingredients to make a dough.  Form a cross across the top of each bun either using a pastry bag or using your fingers.

Bake in the pre-heated oven 15-20 minutes, until puffed and golden.  Allow to cool until slightly warm.

National Tartan Day is 6 April!

Highland dancers at a Tartan Day festival in Canada.

I'll be honest: St Patrick's Day is probably my favorite day of the year.  It's a day to celebrate and show off my heritage, without looking like a crazy person by doing so.

Or half my heritage, anyway.  I'm half Scottish, too.  And as I discussed at greater length here, while you do see pipe bands and kilts and even St Andrew's Society delegations in the parades on St Patrick's Day, it's really Ireland's holiday.

Fortunately for the Scots among us, there are actually several opportunities to show off our Scottishness.  The most traditional is St Andrew's Day, 30 November, the feast day of Scotland's patron  saint.  Obviously, this is mainly a religious holiday, but enjoying a dram and wearing your kilt that day are definitely not frowned upon.  Then there's Burns Night, 25 January, to honor one of Scotland's most popular poets, Robert Burns (1759-96).  This is generally celebrated with whisky, haggis, and poetry recitals, but if that's not really your style, or it's just too cold for a kilt in January, there's National Tartan Day on 6 April.

What, exactly, is Tartan Day, you ask?  It's actually quite a recent creation, only officially celebrated in the US since 1998 and Canada since 1993.  The date, 6 April, was chosen in commemoration of the Declaration of Arbroath (1320, during the reign of Robert the Bruce), in which the Scots asserted their national sovereignty in defiance of English territorial claims.  Of course, I can't help but observe at this point that 6April is generally a very nice day to have an outdoor festival in most parts of the US, while Burns day and St Andrew's usually are not.

How many Scots do you see?

In the US at least, Tartan Day is treated as a celebration of accomplishments and contributions of Scots and Scottish Americans, who have been involved in every aspect of American history, from declaring independence and fighting the revolution (Apparently, Jefferson was descended from Robert the Bruce) to becoming captains of industry at the turn of the century (Andrew Carnegie was an immigrant), to landing on the moon, and many are still prominent in American politics, business, and culture today.   The same is true in Britain, and pretty much anywhere the Scots emigrated in large numbers, like Canada and Australia.

To list every famous Scot would require several pages, but just to prove the point that these are people you can be proud to call your own, I'll say that in the last few centuries, Scots have fought for religious freedom, promoted democracy in Europe and North America, defined the concept of free-market economics, written dozens of classic novels and poems, made many scientific advances, including the invention of the telephone, fought bravely for Britain and for their various adoptive homes around the world, been active in politics, been pop culture icons as actors and musicians, and did I mention landing on the bloody moon?!  Seriously, I'd say they deserve some recognition, wouldn't you?

So how does one celebrate Tartan Day?

Well, as this is a holiday established in the 1990's, there really aren't established traditions.  Wearing tartan would seem the most obvious choice, though, and there are Tartan Day festivals around the country with pipe bands, highland dancers, historical re-enactors and so forth.  Sadly, there aren't really a lot of Scottish pubs in most US cities (as far as I'm aware, anyway), but getting together a large group of people in kilts and invading your local English pub might be amusing, though the local Irish bar might be a little more welcoming.  Or you can take advantage of the lovely April weather we'll hopefully have that day and enjoy some smoked salmon sandwiches and whisky outside (somewhere legal, obviously).

Whether your favorite famous Scot is a historical figure like William Wallace or Flora MacDonald, a modern celebrity such as Dame Maggie Smith or David Tennant, or even a fictional character like James Bond or Jamie Fraser, I hope you'll join me in showing your Scottish pride by wearing your tartan on 6 April!

So which tartan should I wear?

MacDonald of the Isles-
my clan's tartan.

If you're from a Scottish American family like mine, you probably know that you're only really supposed to wear your own family's tartan, but unless your surname or your mother's maiden name is the name of one of the prominent clans, you may not know which tartan you're supposed to wear.  Don't worry, you're not alone.

Because so much of the Scottish immigration to the new world took place after the collapse of the clan system following defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, but before the Celtic cultural revival of the late 19th century, many Scottish Americans don't know which clan they belong to.  With most of the Jacobite chiefs dead or imprisoned after Culloden, there was no one to whom clansmen owed loyalty, and no Laird to rule the clans, so they simply disintegrated, and membership lost its significance.  To make matters worse, Scots were one of America's first major immigrant groups, so immigration records are difficult to find.

Fortunately, the magic of the Internet does make it possible to find out with reasonable accuracy which clan you belong to.  I'd still suggest starting with your family, though.  Older family members are likely to know more about the family history than you do, even if you don't think they're actually interested.  They're at least likely to know your great-grandmother's maiden name, and possibly even more.  If your parents and grandparents are interested in your heritage, it's likely that someone's done at least a family tree at some point.

Stewart Black tartan,
my favorite of the
universal tartans.

Once you've got as many of the Scottish family names as you can find, it's time to turn to the Internet.  Simply enter the names into Google (e.g. "Michie Scottish clan').  Alternately, if you have some idea of which clan you belong to, you can search that way (e.g. "Clan MacDonald septs").  Obviously, it's important at this point to filter your results.  Most of the sites you find are merely trying to sell you something, and their information isn't always accurate.  However, most of the clans have their own sites, providing information from clan historians and genealogists, and they usually have a list of septs, or families associated with that clan.

Once you've found your clan (or clans), all that remains is to head over to the Scottish Tartans Authority or Scotweb to find your tartan and, if so inclined, get a kilt in it.

Isle of Skye

If, however, you can't find your clan, don't despair!  If you want to know badly enough to spend the money, a professional genealogist can probably find out for you.  But if you don't want to spend that kind of money, there are always the universal tartans like Black Watch, Royal Stewart, and Flower of Scotland.  If you know the region but are unsure of the clan, there are district tartans, such as Isle of Skye and Edinburgh.  There's also an American national tartan, and a lot of US states and Canadian provinces have their own tartans as well.  Or you could just pick one you like.  You see, the rules about who can wear which tartan are actually Victorian inventions.  Prior to the ban on Highland dress in 1746, clan tartans only existed in the sense that members of a certain clan would generally wear a certain tartan because it was the pattern available in their area.  And most of the clan tartans we know today don't actually resemble the patterns in existence before the ban.  So there's really nothing stopping you from wearing whichever tartan you want; you can always make up a story about why you picked it.

So remember to wear your tartan, or at least St. Andrew's blue, on the 6th, and take advantage of the other American Celtic holiday!  The Colorado Tartan Day festival isn't until the 11th-12th, but events elsewhere across the country kick off this weekend, so look for a fun way to celebrate in your area, where there's hopefully lovely spring weather.  Happy Tartan Day!