When "Scotch" refers to the nationality or people of Scotland:
* Capitalize: "The Scotch are known for their friendly nature."
* Capitalize: "She has Scotch ancestry."
When "Scotch" refers to a type of whisky:
* Lowercase: "He enjoys a glass of Scotch after dinner."
* Lowercase: "This bottle of Scotch is quite expensive."
Exceptions:
* Proper nouns: If "Scotch" is part of a specific brand name, it should be capitalized, e.g., "Johnnie Walker Scotch."
* Formal usage: In some formal contexts, such as in legal documents or academic papers, "Scotch" might be capitalized even when referring to the whisky, especially if it is used in a way that could be interpreted as a proper noun.
In general, it's safe to lowercase "Scotch" when referring to the whisky and capitalize it when referring to the people or nationality.