Maybe you’ve heard about the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, but the Whiskey Wars? October, and conversations with people about pre-Prohibition whiskeys, got me thinking about the Whiskey Wars. They began […]
Bourbon County History
Did you know that Bourbon County was originally part of Virginia? Bourbon County, Kentucky may not be the namesake for our favorite American liquor…So if not Bourbon County, KY, where […]
Laird’s Apple Jack- America’s First Licensed Distillery
It’s autumn now and that makes me think of applejack… Laird’s applejack is not whiskey, but it was the first licensed distillery in the United States. I’m particularly proud of […]
History of Rebel Yell in America
Rebel Yell is one of those old throwbacks. A “wheated” Kentucky bourbon. And yes, it was manufactured at Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville beside whiskeys that were bottled by the Van […]
Why is Buffalo Trace Not Part of “the Bourbon Trail”?
Did you know that Buffalo Trace is not part of the Kentucky bourbon trail? It all came to an end in 2009. The Kentucky Distillers Association has been around since […]
Jefferson’s Whiskey?
Thomas Jefferson may have a whiskey named after him, but maybe not for the reasons you think… When the Jefferson’s brand of whiskey was launched in 1997, the brand said […]
Is Cask Strength the Best Way To Buy Whiskey?
Is cask strength whiskey the best whiskey? Seems like a question most people you’d ask would answer “Yes!” to right away. There’s quite a bit to consider here, however. The […]
William McKinley’s Political Cocktail
Today was the day President McKinley was shot… What does this have to do with whiskey, you ask? William McKinley had a cocktail named after him while he was running […]
Old Taylor Distillery Returns…
Old Taylor Distillery is coming back to us! The Old Taylor Distillery was built in 1877 by Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. as his own “personal castle” distillery. The place […]
Japanese Whiskey
I am a huge fan of Japanese whisky… Two of the most influential figures in the history of Japanese whisky are Shinjiro Torii and Masataka Taketsuru. Torii created the Yamazaki […]