It is always interesting to read about the heavy influence that whiskey has had on politics throughout history. Whether it was the forces of temperance or the owners of distilleries, […]
The Chemists That Changed American Whiskey
We tend to think of distillers as chemists or scientists, even if Pappy Van Winkle adamantly refused to acknowledge the value of chemistry in his distillery. There’s no denying that […]
The Slow Game of Zealotry.
The temperance movement did not spring out of a hole in the ground. It took about 100 years to impose its will upon the United States and upon our Constitution. […]
Which Kentucky Distilleries Were Absorbed By the Whiskey Trust in 1899?
The “Whiskey Trust” was not a footnote in the story of American whiskey history, though it is often treated as such by whiskey historians. The evolution of the Trust after […]
What is the “Correct Whiskey”?
A little excerpt from a discussion in British Parliament in 1909- debates over whether blends should be considered legitimate, “correct whiskies.” American blenders using Islay malts to blend out American […]
An Argument To Rethink Something We Believe To Be True
“There were 6 distilleries licensed to manufacture medicinal whiskey during Prohibition.” If we’ve read it once, we’ve read it a thousand times. However, this statement is not true for a […]
The Corrupt Origins of Pennsylvania’s State Store System
I’ve been seeing a lot of posts expressing disappointment around order cancellations and the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s inability to meet the expectations of customers looking to buy whiskey. Well, […]
The History of Schenley
The following is a series of 7 (long form) posts- all posted on Facebook between June 9th and 15th, 2024. Schenley. An Intro. Part 1 The most interesting part of […]
An Investigation Into Seton Porter, an American Whiskey Icon. (3 Parts)
Influential Men in Whiskey- Seton Porter (Intro) Seton Porter is one of those iconic figures of whiskey history in America that should not be ignored…though he has certainly managed to […]
Andrew Mellon: America’s Whiskey King.
Perhaps, as one of the country’s most influential American bankers, businessmen, industrialists, philanthropists, art collectors, and politicians, Mr. Mellon needs no introduction. Mellon served as the US Secretary of the […]