The following are two separate posts that I wrote for my Facebook page- @AmericanWhiskeyHistory. I have been putting historic posts on my page every day for almost a year and […]
Noah S. “Soggy” Sweat Jr.: Mississippi’s Neutral Politician for American Whiskey
Did you know that Mississippi did not ratify the 21st amendment (Repeal) until 1966? It wasn’t until January 1, 2021 that a new Mississippi law legalized the possession of alcohol […]
Foust’s Fancy Flasks (& How They Were Shaped By Pennsylvania’s Booming Glass Industry)
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 History of the Miller Pure Rye Distillery
The Wheatland Distillery Miller & Mooney Womelsdorf (Ryeland) Berks County, Pennsylvania RD# 75 1st District There were many large-scale distilleries in Pennsylvania before Prohibition, and though most were in the […]
A Little History on a Pennsylvania Classic: Rittenhouse Rye Whisky
Good ol’ Rittenhouse Rye Whisky. It’s been a standard sipper for the American rye drinker since it was launched by Continental Distilling Corporation as “Rittenhouse Square Straight Rye Whisky” in […]
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 […]
Liquor Laws, Listed from 1676-1935
This list is incomplete and will be periodically updated. 1676– Pennsylvania prohibits the use of distilling of any grain unless it was “unfit to grind and boalt.” 1791– The Excise […]
What is With All the Black Fungus Near Distilleries?
What is all that black fungus in Kentucky? I’m a Pennsylvania resident and have never lived in Kentucky bourbon country, so I’ve never had to deal with the aggravation of […]
An Examination of Barrel Entry Proof
As I continue to dig into the origins of aged American whiskeys and into how far back their production goes, I continue to discover very interesting practices and find hints […]
What happened to Maryland’s Hunter Rye?
Once one of the most popular brands of rye whiskey in the country, if not the world, Hunter Rye Whiskey, was a product of Maryland. The brand was first introduced […]