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 […]
Claims of False Advertising in 1871 Provides Insight into the History of Rectifiers.
July 1871- Trouble was brewing in Lancaster, PA between competing rectifiers, and one of the rivals took his grievance to the local paper- the Intelligencer Journal. These clippings reveal that […]
Who was George T. Stagg?
Part 1. I have always wanted to know more about the man behind the marketing myth. George T. Stagg’s name has had quite an impact on the bourbon industry- and […]
The Schreiners. A Distilling Dynasty.
American whiskey history tends to focus its spotlight on company presidents and brand owners. Whiskey barons like E.H. Taylor, Albert Blanton, and George Garvin Brown have been lionized by the […]
What is Maryland Rye?
Let me just start by saying that the definition we’ve assigned to Maryland rye whiskey…is flawed. I know, it’s not great to start off a post with such a contrarian […]
What Was the Gwynnbrook Distillery and Why Was It Important?
I’ve been wanting to write about Gwynnbrook for a long while. Unfortunately, Gwynnbrook isn’t a distillery name most whiskey enthusiasts are familiar with, but a distillery doesn’t have to be […]
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 […]
Mount Vernon Rye Whiskeys- An Historic Tasting (1902-1947)
On November 23, 2024, at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Distillery in Alexandria, Virginia, an incredible lineup of historic bottlings of rye whiskeys were sampled. The focus was on antique expressions […]
Who was William E. Kricker?
William E. Kricker was the master distiller for Baltimore Pure Rye Distilling Company after Prohibition. He was the man behind B.P.R. rye whiskey and Old Ruxton rye…but why was he […]