History of Bourbon

Question 1

When was distillation discovered?

Answer 1

2,000 years ago by alchemists who first began distilling water

Question 2

Where did whiskey come from?

Answer 2

Ireland and Scotland, then went to Canada and Japan

Question 3

Where were the early colonial American distillers come from?

Answer 3

Central Europe

Question 4

What did early British settlers primarily make?

Answer 4

Rum

Question 5

What is the alchemical Latin name for alcohol?

Answer 5

Aqua Vitae

Question 6

When are the earliest records of alchol?

Answer 6

1400s - alcohol consumption in Ireland

1494 - malt sent to a friar to make aqua vitae

Question 7

Where did the word “whiskey” come from?

Answer 7

Latin: aqua vitae ->
Gaelic: uisce beatha ->
whiskey

Question 8

What are the suspected origins of barrel aging?

Answer 8

Scottish & Irish smugglers attempting to evade being taxed would have appreciated the lighter and more durable barrels as containers

Question 9

How was distilling & whiskey viewed in the Revolutionary War era?

Answer 9

Distillers were pillars of the community and rye whiskey was the “patriot’s drink” because it was indigenous

Question 10

What was the reason for the Whiskey Rebellion?

Answer 10

The US imposed an excise tax on distilling to repay debts from the Revolutionary War. Farmer-distillers in W. Pennsylvania refused to pay the tax.

Question 11

Which past president owned a distillery?

Answer 11

George Washington built one at Mt. Vernon. After retirement, his distillery would become the largest rye distillery.

Question 12

What were some of the early whiskey developments after the Revolutionary War?

Answer 12

Scotland: government eased legal distilling regs and tightened enforcement on illegal; storage in 2nd hand barrels from wine & sherry
Kentucky: corn-based bourbon was new
Canada: blended became norm
America, France, Canada: storage in toasted or charred barrels (hybrid of brandy technique)

Question 13

What were early nicknames of bourbon because of barrel aging?

Answer 13

red liquor

Monongahela

Question 14

What 2 things cemented whiskey’s place in the world?

Answer 14

steam power - allowed production of lots of mild flavored whiskey that mellowed pot-distilled whiskey when blended as Scotch and people it liked more

phylloxera - destroyed cognac industry; tastes switched to whiskey

Question 15

When was Prohibition?

Answer 15

After World War I

Question 16

What was the impact of Prohibition?

Answer 16

No one could import to America
Americans couldn’t transport within the country or export it
US production and sales plummeted
After, no aged American whiskey was left and Scotch & Irish hadn’t recovered

Question 17

What was the impact of World War II?

Answer 17

Production at distilleries shifted to industrial alcohol for chemical feedstock.

Question 18

Describe major negative events on the whiskey industry of the 60’s and 80’s.

Answer 18

60’s - consumers preferred vodka & light rum

80’s - Whiskey Loch - glut of Scotch caused crash

Question 19

What happened in the 80’s that turned things around for Scotch?

Answer 19

Release of single malts, led by Glenfiddich but also indies like Gordon & McPhail

Question 20

What caused turnaround for bourbon?

Answer 20

Maker’s Mark growth - smooth, wheated
Blanton’s creation - single barrel
Booker’s creation - unfiltered cask strength

Question 21

What helped Irish whiskey survive?

Answer 21

By 1966, all remaining distillers had consolidated. Then reformulated as lighter, blended whiskey.

Question 22

How long ago did malting occur?

Answer 22

Sumerians left records from 4000 BCE describing malting in Mesopotamia

Question 23

How old is evidence of rye as a grain?

Answer 23

500 BCE

Question 24

Who brought rye grain to North America? When?

Answer 24

Germans in the 1700’s