I have been thinking a lot lately about labeling terms for whiskey that we take for granted in the United States. Bottled-in bond, straight whiskey, bourbon, pure rye, fine old […]
Do We Romanticize Pre-Prohibition Whiskey?
The question is inevitably asked whenever a discussion about pre-Prohibition American whiskeys comes up: “We we romanticize pre-Prohibition whiskey?” Industry folks tend to be very skeptical about “the old methods.” […]
From 1925 to Repeal: How the Medicinal Whiskey Makers Changed Everything
We’ve discussed the early 1920s in the previous blog post, so let’s address what came next. We tend to think of Prohibition as the heyday of bootlegging and speakeasies…a vague, […]
The Early Years of Prohibition: The Volstead Act and the “Band-Aid Legislation” That Followed
What happened within the distilling industry during the early years of Prohibition? In short, massive upheaval and a lot of confusion. The temperance groups that pushed for National Prohibition did […]
What is Rye Whiskey & Why Is It So Different Today?
Rye whiskey is very popular these days. We can clearly see the growth in market share. People talk about how unique it is, but then the occasional article surfaces that […]
Is Rye Whiskey Really that Hard to Make?
After the last blog post, I was reminded by a fellow enthusiast that I should have included that “rye whiskey is hard to make”. It gave me pause so I […]
Why did Rye Not Survive Prohibition?
That is the big question, after all, isn’t it? Rye is America’s oldest style of whiskey. It was the most valuable and the most desirable American-made whiskey on the […]
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 […]
The Whiskey Trust
When it comes to the history of American whiskey, there is no more important topic than that of the Whiskey Trust. In fact, American whiskey history should probably be divided […]