The Fousts, a distilling family that had been making whiskey in York County, Pennsylvania since 1840, marketed their products in incredibly unique containers. William Foust had always used creative glass […]
The Hughes Brothers’ “Belle of Bedford”
One of the more exciting rye whiskey brands in 2023 is named after a pre-Prohibition rye whiskey from Bedford County, Pennsylvania. It is not a unique thing to start a […]
The Creation of Concentration Warehouses and Their Impact on the American Whiskey Trade
To all those dusty Prohibition-era bottle collectors out there… The labels on those pint bottles from the early 20th century tell a story that is not often told (or explained). […]
The Cullen Bill and the Post-Prohibition Glass Bottle Monopoly
“It was the keg, not the bottle that disappeared during prohibition, the heyday of the bootlegger.”– Hugh J. McMackin, Secretary of the National Wholesale Wine and Liquor Dealers’ Association (July […]
Why Are the Insides of Whiskey Barrels Charred?
Occum’s razor basically proposes that the simplest explanation is most likely the right one…That it’s best to avoid the more elaborate explanation when possible. While the principle doesn’t always hold […]
An Opinion on Metallica’s Blackened American Whiskey
So…Metallica has its own whiskey now. Ugh. Everyone has their own whiskey, it seems. Nothing new, of course. Celebrity sells. There have been celebrities moving distilled products since advertising’s […]
Aren’t All Barrels Made From American White Oak?
Someone recently asked me, “Aren’t all barrels made from American white oak?” My answer was “No,” but the elaboration was probably a bit longer than he expected. Most of us […]
What is a Cooper?
What is a cooper? Seems there are many children with the name Cooper, but not a whole lot of actual coopers out there. Traditionally, a cooper was the man that […]
St. Bernards and Their Whiskey Barrels
Legend tells that Saint Bernards carried barrels of whiskey around their necks to aid stranded travelers. In order to help travelers, an Augustine monk named St. Bernard de Menthon founded […]
John Hall’s Forty Creek
I have found that many of the new distillers in America have come to distilling from breweries and beer production. It’s a logical step, as “beer” must be brewed before […]