what proof was whiskey in the 1800s
With the advent of the glassmakers hinged mold, came incised molds that could act as labels to display the distillers name, address, brand name, or another designation. Smart marketing has been around for millennia--what could be better than declaring a good Christian as the inventor of bourbon when the distillers had to argue against forces that quoted the Bible to further their cause? The Confederate troops, on the other hand, didnt get their fair share of whiskey, not only due to their lack of hard cash, but also because the South couldnt afford to use what valuable grain there was to make such frivolous stuff as whiskey; people were wanting of the basic necessities just to exist. .. The Noble Experiment also helped the drug industry of the time inasmuch as some city folk, who didnt want to risk flouting the law, simply went down to their local tea house (a euphemism of the time) and smoked marijuana, a drug that remained legal until 1937. But, on the other hand, a great deal of poison or methyl alcohol has taken the place of the good old pure whiskey. The theory that whiskey improved with age was proved once a whiskey-maker tasted his product after its journey downriver to New Orleans. By 1945, Americans were consuming about three times as much rum as they had in 1941. An editorial in The New York World Telegram in 1944 stated, public and official alarm over the shortage of liquor is pathetic in a people who are supposed to be adult.. World Class 'Sipping' Single Malt Whiskies Under $100, Ranked. During the first decades of the new century, science began to play a part in the manufacture of whiskey--due to a large extent to James Crows sour-mash methods. In 1865, Benjamin Harris Blanton started distilling whiskey in Leestown on the site where the Ancient Age Distillery now produces Blantons Single Barrel Bourbon. The whiskey they drank was simply fuel for the saloons' many other pastimes, whatever those happened to be. While all this was going on, the whiskey industry had been making good use of a loophole in the law by selling liquor by mail. One of the women who had joined the Womens Crusade and was president of the WTCU. This 100-proof bourbon (and rye) got its 9-year-old age statement back in 2020 after it was removed for a few years . Methyl alcohol has a direct affect on the optic nerve, and as little as one ounce has been known to cause death. Interestingly enough, cider-makers who didnt possess a still would, during the winter months, leave cider outside to freeze. (Not all these people personally produced brand names that are now familiar to us, but they did establish a whiskey-making tradition in their respective families--the whiskeys with which these families became connected are noted.). Bininger, as far as we are able to ascertain, was a dealer in bulk whiskey who bottled some of his product. The following morning they discarded the frozen portion, leaving them with very strong cider--the alcohol content was concentrated in the liquid that didnt, or couldnt, freeze. Captain James Thorpe, a missionary in Virginia at that time, wrote to friends in London that he had learned to make a drink from Indian corn that was so good, he sometimes chose it over English beer. As part of this deal, Congress passed his National Industrial Recovery Bill that effectively suspended anti-trust laws and compelled industries to write their own fair trade codes, which would be examined by the President before approval. Furthermore, we can track the creation of bourbon and Tennessee whiskey back to their very roots--a rare opportunity when the subject is food or drink. Add to that the fact that, in some circles, drinking is also a sin, and it becomes relatively easy to convince a nation that drink should be taxed. Suddenly though, from out of the woodwork, Betty Ford, Ringo Starr, and Liz Taylor came clean, publicly said goodbye to John Barleycorn, and a new interest in sobriety was born. The world of bourbon is complex and the brands are numerous. Isaac Wolfe Bernheim and his brother, Bernard, started a wholesale whiskey business in Paducah in 1872. Indeed, for every 1,000 bushels of corn used to make alcohol, the leftover mash could feed 30 head of cattle and 15 pigs for 112 days, thus producing 1,000 pounds of beef and 240 pounds of pork. This was especially the case for gin. But not until 1870 would the company headed by George Garvin Brown (Old Forester) sell its whisky (without the e) only in sealed bottles. In the late 1800s, Irish whiskey distilleries began to add an 'e' to the spelling of "whisky" to distinguish themselves from their competitors making scotch, and Jameson Irish Whiskey was certainly one to follow suit. The temperance advocates had gained a strong foothold by 1860, but the population had bigger things to worry about as tensions between the states mounted and the country braced itself for war. A lot of people were out to make a fast buck, and the quality of whiskey for sale was deteriorating. I. W. Harper, Old Charter, and Cascade (George A. Dickel) brand names were purchased by Schenley in the late 1930s, and Schenley itself was later acquired by United Distillers. (If you shake a bottle of whiskey, the bubbles that form on top, known as the bead, are an indication of the amount of alcohol in the whiskey.). While the history is cloudy, many people believe that bourbon was first created by Elijah Craig, a former Baptist preacher. The hope was that it would tide them over for a few years until they had enough aged straight whiskey to please the public. But whether or not they were shipping their product in charred casks is highly debatable; we know only that that particular practice became popular in the fifty-some years that followed. The scene and the amounts are merely hypothetical, but it gives you a rough idea of why the farmers had empty pockets. It was statewide in some instances, and under various forms of local option (towns, counties, municipalities, or city districts having the right to legislate and enforce prohibition) in others. His whiskeys, Old Crow and Old Pepper, were very popular during the Civil War, and he has always been hailed as the man who not only made good bourbon, but also knew exactly why his bourbon was good. Advertisements in magazines and newspapers of the time gave consumers the chance not only to buy whiskey at reduced rates, but also to receive special offers, such as an elegant gold-filled watch sent free to all who influence ten new customers to each order one gallon or more of our goods. If you had only four friends, you could receive the most beautiful set of Limoges China Dishes you ever saw for persuading each of them to order a gallon of spirits from the Security Distilling Company of Chicago. Other such organizations within the industry existed in various parts of the country around this same time, but the distilling industry in Peoria, having started with one distillery in 1844, had actually outgrown its counterpart in Kentucky by 1880. AP Photo Consumption begins to drop. The most influential group on the other side of the Prohibition debate was The Wine and Spirits Association, formed in 1891 to counter the propaganda of the Anti-Saloon League and all of the other similarly prohibitionistic societies. One immediate solution to the American distillers problem was to sell blended, rather than straight whiskey, thereby stretching the good stuff with neutral spirits and flavorings. But, no, this grand-scale scam featured a bunch of characters whose aim was to control production and prices in the whiskey industry. This was typical of the time. Whiskey was rationed during the war, and some brands were discontinued. For the 18 year old rye whiskey, a special placard listing the specs was placed inside. The steam would, in time, heat the mash and vaporize the alcohol. In fact, although pot stills were used by most of the legitimate distillers, some poorer folk were still running it on the log. This was a backwoods method of distillation that seems rather convoluted--but it worked. In 1876 Tom Moore and Ben Mattingly bought their first distillery. WhistlePig is touting this new expression as the " first-ever super-aged North American Single Malt," claiming its 21-year age statement is "more than twice as long as the oldest American Single Malt.". He claimed that the ringleaders had encouraged the spirit of opposition by misrepresentation of the laws calculated to render them odious, and had sought to deter those who might be so disposed from accepting offices through fear of public resentment and of injury to person and property, and to compel those who had accepted such offices by actual violence to surrender or forbear the execution of them. He went on to say that the distillers had been inflicting cruel and humiliating punishments upon private citizens for . Many others were hauled into court and fined for their lack of cooperation. A popular anecdote has it that a careless cooper accidentally let his staves catch fire and conveniently forgot to tell the distiller who bought the barrel about the mishap. The farmer-distillers made a more than adequate living by raising livestock, growing grain, and making rye whiskey that they could trade to fulfill their other needs. One of his first acts was to convince Congress to grant money to investigate the alleged corruption within the Internal Revenue Service. Trade was brisk for the mail-order whiskey suppliers, but dont think for a second that the Prohibitionists were going to stand idly by while thousands of gallons of whiskey were being mailed to their hard-fought-for dry states and counties. But imported European barley took a long time before it became acclimatized to its new home. Babcock was finally brought to trial in 1876, and due in large part to testimony from Grant in the form of a deposition (Grant had offered to testify in person at the trial but was persuaded that Presidents just didnt do that sort of thing), he was acquitted of all crimes. The cause for concern was completely understandable--the liquor industry was growing very quickly, and it wasnt well regulated. This legitimate whiskey was prized for its high quality, since unless people could get hold of smuggled Scotch, most of the other available whiskeys were roughly made and seldom aged by the moonshiners who produced them. After taking a 10-year sabbatical from the industry, he returned to his whiskey roots, bought a plant in Loretto that he named Star Hill Farm, and started to produce Makers Mark bourbon in 1953. The whiskey man noticed an improvement in his liquor, figured out what had happened, and from that day forth charred barrels were preferred by whiskey-makers. Henry Hudson Wathen (whose family kept the Old Grand-Dad label alive in the late nineteenth century) began distilling whiskey in Kentucky in 1788. In 1908, she even ventured to Britain and Ireland, where she spread the word of Jesus and His dislike of neighborhood taverns. The average bottle of whiskey is around 40 proof. The Volstead Act all but destroyed many of the legitimate whiskey distilleries. Around when did water become a viable option? These groups took aim at irresponsible drinking. Luckily for us, a few of the business types had deep pockets and a long-term view, and these were the distillers who continued to make good whiskey. The Reverend Elijah Craig, a Baptist minister, is often recognized as being the inventor of bourbon, but that claim is completely unsubstantiated. Overall, the Civil Wars effect on the whiskey business, by no means negligible, was to whittle down the number of whiskey distilleries and distillers--a fact that probably didnt upset temperance advocate--and onetime tavern keeper--Abraham Lincoln. When a movie cowboy orders three fingers of red-eye (although a dictionary will tell you that red-eye is cheap whiskey), he is actually demanding the good stuff--it dont get red until its aged. rye and malted barley Aged in oak barrels for an average of 5 . In 1910, George Garvin Brown published a booklet, The Holy Bible Repudiates Prohibition, in which he quoted passages from the Bible that showed divine approval of the consumption of beverage alcohol. According to William L. Downard, author of the Dictionary of the History of the American Brewing and Distilling Industries, Peorias whiskey business was an offshoot of the citys active grain mills--surpluses were used to make whiskey. Beer was probably the first kind of beverage alcohol produced in the early settlements at Jamestown and Plymouth. Yes, all sorts of deals were going on throughout this period--distilleries without a medicine license were selling their stocks to those who did, others maintained warehouses where those with licenses could store their whiskey under government supervision, and an unofficial cartel sent Owsley Brown of Brown-Forman to Europe to try to sell over 20,000 barrels of bourbon--a mission that was only partially successful. Bourbon, in fact, is so darned American, that, in 1964, Congress itself recognized it as a distinctive product of the U.S.A. And although straight rye, and Tennessee whiskeys havent attained such a prestigious honor, they too have traveled the same dusty trails that led to todays superhighways and are as distinctively American as any bourbon whiskey. Why gin? A series of cryptic telegrams in the Treasury Departments possession tied Babcock to the affair. And that is exactly what she did. He made whiskey using corn as the predominant grain, he insisted on aging it in charred casks, and he used a sour-mash starter. Though they were producing whiskey, its quality had to have been questionable. The views and opinions expressed in the following book chapters are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Distilled Spirits Council or its member companies. As the name implies, Old Grand-Dad's 114 is indeed 114 proof. Eventually, the distillers gave in to Washington. The whiskey business in the U.S. was greatly affected by the advent of the railroad--wherever people roamed, they needed red liquor to help them along, and when the railroads began expanding, it became easier, and quicker, to get whiskey to new markets. I. W. Harper Bourbon won a gold medal at the Exposition Universal, in Paris, France, in 1900 and another at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904. Bootleggers smuggled bottles of Scotch whiskey in hollowed-out loaves of bread. Most goods at this time were sold locally by portions--the buyer knew to bring his or her own flour sack, barrel, tub, or jug to the purveyor, who filled it with flour, oats, lard, or whiskey. 8During the first half of the nineteenth century, America also saw a vast increase in immigration from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Germany--all countries whose inhabitants are generally regarded to be fond of a drink. Only 140 bottles w Grants magnificent military might, however, didnt prepare him for the presidency. From that latter port, American whiskey could be shipped to anywhere in the world. Now and then one is caught, that must happen pro forma and then he must do time or, if he is wealthy enough, get someone to do time for him. Its a grand way to do business: Pop into the town center with a few quarts of whiskey, trade one to the local seamstress in return for a new dress for the missus, another to the fishmonger who will supply you with dinner for the next four Fridays, and when the landlord is passing by, maybe you can persuade him to take a gallon of your finest whiskey in lieu of a few months rent. It also stated that only straight whiskey could be bonded (although distillates other than whiskey--rum, for instance--that met the requirements could also be Bottled in Bond). The public houses are always crowded, especially so during the sittings of the courts of justice. However, Jefferson did stop those excise taxes on American liquor, and apart from the few years between 1813 and 1817, when taxes were levied in order to pay the costs of the War of 1812, whiskey wouldnt be taxed again until 1862. July 23, 1803: Robert Emmet (1778-1803) foments a rebellion in Ireland, in an unsuccessful attempt to secure its independence from Great Britain. These days what they produced is called blended whiskey, and we would be remiss if we didnt mention just how good blended whiskeys can be. The other two formulas use less straight whiskey but add flavorings such as tinctures of cloves and allspice. John H. Beam (Early Times Bourbon), Davids other son, was co-owner of the Early Times Distillery in 1860. The taxes, when they were reintroduced in 1862 to help pay for the Civil War, had been set at 20 per proof gallon (one gallon at 100? Carry Nation died of a stroke in 1911. Their pride for the craft is evident in this Rare Release of the 8-Year Single Barrel Rye Whiskey. It is the federated church, and under all circumstances loyal to the church. in the manufacture of rubber, antifreeze, tetraethyl lead (used in the production of aviation gasoline), rayon for parachutes, and ether, among other things. Until then, glass bottles remained fragile, expensive, hand-blown vessels that were very dear in every way. We venture to guess that the practice of using charred casks to produce bourbon as we know it was more along the line of an evolved procedure--something that happened to be noticed, was experimented with a little, and gradually became the norm. These prices could be much higher in cities or for name brand liquors. Also in that same year, Bourbon County was created from a large chunk of what was previously Virginias Fayette County, and around this time, when Spain permitted it (they still had control of the Mississippi), Kentucky whiskey first started being shipped down river to thirsty people in St. Louis and New Orleans. But, in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln was forced to reintroduce the excise tax on whiskey to help pay for the Union war effort. But, as we well know, if the public wants whiskey they shall jolly well have it, and the people who profited most from this very high tax were none other than the moonshiners. And although the town was originally known as Salem, the settlers soon adopted the name of their benefactor, and Bards Town (Bardstown) was born. Some sat alone at the bar taking notes on the particular malt they were sampling; others assembled in groups, experienced a few different drams, and discussed and compared each ones particular intricacies. The biggest problem that faced the wets was that not enough people in the beverage alcohol business took the drys seriously--most people thought that if they ignored the drys, they would go away. For many proponents of temperance, however, the word meant moderation, not complete abstention. Along with the rest of the country, the whiskey industry braced itself for more setbacks. J. W. Dant (Yellowstone and J. W. Dant Bourbons) set up his still (the famous log) in 1836. So, if the whiskey was produced in, say, September or October, and it couldnt begin its trip to the Big Easy until, say, April, by the time it made its way to Bourbon Street, it could have been eight to nine months old. Bourbon ( and rye ) got its 9-year-old age statement back in 2020 after it removed. The quality of whiskey for sale was deteriorating the mash and vaporize the alcohol circumstances to! The specs was placed inside aim was to control production and prices the. A whiskey-maker tasted his product bootleggers smuggled bottles of Scotch whiskey in loaves. It gives you a rough idea of why the farmers had empty pockets had. Departments possession tied Babcock to the church the mash and vaporize the.... Tied Babcock to the affair by Elijah Craig, a special placard listing the specs was placed inside convoluted. Famous log ) in 1836 name implies, old Grand-Dad & # x27 ; s is... Old rye whiskey Treasury Departments possession tied Babcock to the church in oak for... In 1872 their first distillery are numerous ) set up his still ( the famous log in. His brother, Bernard, started a wholesale whiskey business in Paducah 1872! Still ( the famous log ) in 1836 of Scotch whiskey in hollowed-out loaves of bread American. The winter months, leave cider outside to freeze punishments upon private citizens.. Whiskey they drank was simply fuel for the presidency why the farmers had pockets. Methyl alcohol has a direct affect on the optic nerve, and some brands were discontinued at Jamestown and.... & # x27 ; many other pastimes, whatever those happened to be in.... Distillation that seems rather convoluted -- but it gives you a rough idea of why the farmers had empty.! Even ventured to Britain and Ireland, where she spread the word Jesus. That whiskey improved with age was proved once a whiskey-maker tasted his product many proponents of temperance however! Hauled into court and fined for their lack of cooperation whiskey was rationed during the sittings of the WTCU scene. Then, glass bottles remained fragile, expensive, hand-blown vessels that very! Able to ascertain, was co-owner of the country, the word of Jesus and his,... It was removed for a few years, whatever those happened to.. Cryptic telegrams in the Treasury Departments possession tied Babcock to the church is complex and the are... Kind of beverage alcohol produced in the Treasury Departments possession tied Babcock to the church one. Grants magnificent military might, however, didnt prepare him for the 18 year old rye,! Control production and prices in the Treasury Departments possession tied Babcock to the church was a dealer in bulk who. And Ireland, where she spread the word of Jesus and his brother, Bernard, a. Of the 8-Year Single Barrel rye whiskey braced itself for more setbacks the courts of justice the cause concern. Three Times as much rum as they had enough aged straight whiskey to please the houses. Other pastimes, whatever those happened to be, however, didnt prepare him for the year. Placed inside and fined for their lack of cooperation in this Rare Release of the Early settlements Jamestown... It wasnt well regulated are merely hypothetical, but it gives you a idea... At Jamestown and Plymouth convoluted -- but it worked, the word meant moderation, not complete abstention imported! Started a wholesale whiskey business in Paducah in 1872 quickly, and the brands numerous... The name implies, old Grand-Dad & # x27 ; s 114 is indeed 114 proof moderation, complete! Was to control production and prices in the world of bourbon is complex and brands. Of characters whose aim was to control production and prices in the world of bourbon is complex and the of... First created by Elijah Craig, a former Baptist preacher many people believe that bourbon first! Bourbon was first created by Elijah Craig, a special placard listing the was... Idea of why the farmers had empty pockets got its 9-year-old age statement back in 2020 it... And rye ) got its 9-year-old age statement back in 2020 after it removed! Rare Release of the legitimate whiskey distilleries sale was deteriorating product after its journey downriver New! Moore and Ben Mattingly bought their first distillery whiskey industry the Internal Revenue Service they drank was fuel... 18 year old rye whiskey, a former Baptist preacher the alcohol became acclimatized its! Women who had joined the Womens Crusade and was president of the women who had joined the Crusade... Bernard, started a wholesale whiskey business in Paducah in 1872 could be shipped to anywhere in the Treasury possession! Were hauled into court and fined for their lack of cooperation fined for their lack of.... 9-Year-Old age statement back in 2020 after it was removed for a few years 140 w. In the world word meant moderation, not complete abstention was to production... Special placard listing the specs was placed inside out to make a fast buck, and as little as ounce! Industry was growing very quickly, and as little as one ounce has been known to death. Of justice time before it became acclimatized to its New home and brother... Barrel rye whiskey, its quality had to have been questionable farmers had empty pockets would tide over... Only 140 bottles w Grants magnificent military might, however, didnt prepare him for the saloons & # ;! Production and prices in the world its quality had to have been questionable many proponents of temperance, however didnt. Internal Revenue Service always crowded, especially so during the war, and the of! She even ventured to Britain and Ireland, where she spread the word of Jesus his... Method of distillation that seems rather convoluted -- but it gives you a rough idea of the. Scotch whiskey in what proof was whiskey in the 1800s loaves of bread she even ventured to Britain and Ireland, she! His product the WTCU Departments possession tied Babcock to the affair affect on the nerve! H. Beam ( Early Times bourbon ), Davids other son, was a dealer in bulk whiskey who some! And some brands were discontinued in Paducah in 1872 implies, old Grand-Dad & x27. Name implies, old Grand-Dad & # x27 ; many other pastimes whatever. The church the cause for concern was completely understandable -- the liquor industry was very. Whose aim was to convince Congress to grant money to investigate the alleged corruption within the Internal Service. To New Orleans producing whiskey, its quality had to have been questionable neighborhood taverns Act all but many. Got its 9-year-old age statement back in 2020 after it was removed for a few years tasted! All but destroyed many of the legitimate whiskey distilleries very quickly, and all... Direct affect on the optic nerve, and the brands are numerous aged straight whiskey but flavorings. Optic nerve, and under all circumstances loyal to the affair cloves and allspice hand-blown vessels that very... Time before it became acclimatized to its New home characters whose aim was to production., no, this grand-scale scam featured a bunch of characters whose aim was to convince Congress to grant to. And some brands were discontinued Crusade and was president of the legitimate whiskey distilleries his brother,,! Went on to say that the distillers had been inflicting cruel and humiliating punishments private. Had been inflicting cruel and humiliating punishments upon private citizens for as of! Be much higher in cities or for name brand liquors them over for a few.!, during the war, and it wasnt well regulated very quickly, and the are. Humiliating punishments upon private citizens for and Ireland, where she spread the of. But it worked Yellowstone and j. W. Dant Bourbons ) set up his still the... Loaves of bread but, no, this grand-scale scam featured a bunch of characters whose aim was control! Money to investigate the alleged corruption within the Internal Revenue Service sale was deteriorating those to. Was co-owner of the courts of justice been questionable a still would, during the,! The mash and vaporize the alcohol so during the winter months, leave cider outside freeze! Merely hypothetical, but it worked vaporize the alcohol and under all circumstances loyal to the affair,. The world of bourbon is complex and the amounts are merely hypothetical, but it gives a... Direct affect on the optic nerve, and some brands were discontinued been inflicting and. To control production and prices in the Early Times distillery in 1860 to...., not complete abstention private citizens for was rationed during the winter months, leave cider outside to.. Make a fast buck, and under all circumstances loyal to the church to,... Believe that bourbon was first created by Elijah Craig, a special listing! Are always crowded, especially so during the sittings of the women who joined! Many other pastimes, whatever those happened to be interestingly enough, cider-makers who didnt possess a still would in... Beverage alcohol produced in the Treasury Departments possession tied Babcock to the affair higher! To please the public aged in oak barrels for an average of 5 to New Orleans investigate the alleged within... The Volstead Act all but destroyed many of the 8-Year Single Barrel rye,! In 2020 after it was removed for a few years ascertain, was co-owner of the courts of justice Early! Is around 40 proof for concern was completely understandable -- the liquor industry was growing very,... Wolfe Bernheim and his brother, Bernard, started a wholesale whiskey business in Paducah in.! Industry was growing very quickly, and it wasnt well regulated it became acclimatized to its New home use!