Whiskey on the frontier

[bnail]

jake leg poisining , fusil oils doesn't sound too good :shocked2: I think I'll stick with the store bought stuff .

I've been looking into this, and there are some sites that differentiate between "Moonshine" and "Fresh Whiskey" Fresh whiskey is that whiskey, once refined, which is put into the charred oak barrels for aging. there are a number of commercial brands of "Fresh Whiskey" but unfortunately, there mostly all regional brands.
This is the whiskey I feel which would have been most prevelent on the frontier.

 

[blacksmithshoppe]

I like Whiskey, and Brandy, and Rum, and Beer, What was I saying?

 

[Homesteader]

I don't know that it's really pertinent to the topic, but I do know that grain was perishible and whiskey wasn't, which is why so much whiskey was produced on the frontier. So much that whiskey actually became "legal tender" on the frontier after the Revolution. (That was bolstered by the fact that there was little actual "money" out there.)

That was the basis of the "Whiskey Rebellion": the western producers paid almost twice what the eastern purveyors did in taxes on the product. His crushing of that Rebellion is the single thing I hold against George Washington. (Otherwise, a true Titan of a Man.)

 

[bnail]

It was bound to happen; G-Pops had to solidify the authority of the new government. Wo unto any first contest to governmental control. I don't think it was anything personal, as he would've probably come down equally hard on the junior stamp collector's rebellion had it happended first. :winking:

 

Who knows what spirits were carried by "Americans" into the hinterlands?
I'm thinking Corn whiskey, as I believe bourbons weren't "Invented" yet. I had an account that Boone liked a little whiskey while out, but I've since lost the source.

Since you said "Americans" I guess you are talking about post Rev War days. RYE whisky was the original whisky made here in North America. Then came Bourbon ca. 1780s. But in prior times whisky drinking was overshadowed by RUM and other spirits such as hard cider, brandy, wine, etc...If you go back to the F&I War period, rum was the main drink, often cut with fruit juices.

 

[bnail]

Thanks Mike:
I forgot about Rye whiskey, I'll have to try that. Also, don't forget Gin. Though I agree that Rum was by far the most prevelent, I'm interested in the history of distilling on the frontier.

 

[Coot]

What was being distilled in the colonies varies with the everpresent when & where questions. US Congress revenue records show that in 1792 there were 290 rum stills in the US which produced 4.2 million gallons a year. There were 2177 grain stills which produced 935,000 gallons a year. Over half of all the rum stills were in Mass. & Penn had over a third of the grain stills & Maryland about a quarter. Virginia & North Carolina only had a handfull of stills. Distilled spirits were consumed at about 7 gallons per adult per year at this time but cider was consumed at 34 gallons per adult per year. Cider was easily the most common form of alcohol with most rural households making their own. Rum was far & away the most common hard liquor (remember the tringle trade). West of the mountains,cider & whiskey would have been easy enough to produce locally & likely to find at most any settlement.

 

[Sutallee]

A few thoughts:

During the Whiskey Rebellion, George Washington became the only president in history to take the field in personal command of troops in action. In the 1790’s, Washington’s plantation at Mount Vernon was the largest single producer of rye whiskey in the country.

Mr. Coot’s report on the congressional revenue records was most interesting. However, I would guess that it reflected the northern areas of the country near the seaboard more than the Southern and frontier areas. And, I doubt that there has ever been a time, even today, when legal stills ever outnumbered unregistered illegal stills. Note that the Southern States registered fewer stills, and I doubt that there was less drinking there. So, there was probably a large part of the spirits industry that was not included in that report. We can only speculate on the characteristics of its production. Regardless, it does show that per capita drinking seems to have been a lot higher then.

 

[redwing]

Anchor Brewing makes a limited run of Rye whisky that is made in a single pot still. They claim it is made from an orginal formula of the 1700s. Jim Beam Rye is OK if you like Rye Whiskey. Then of course Bourbon has a lot of rye in it. They have to have I think 51% corn the rest is from rye or winter wheat. :thumbsup:

 

[bnail]

Anchor Brewing makes a limited run of Rye whisky that is made in a single pot still. They claim it is made from an orginal formula of the 1700s. Jim Beam Rye is OK if you like Rye Whiskey. Then of course Bourbon has a lot of rye in it. They have to have I think 51% corn the rest is from rye or winter wheat. :thumbsup:

Thanks RW, I'll look that up. I've never had Rye Whiskey before, as I'm mostly a straight Bourbon man, I've heard that Washington's whiskey recipe was dusted off and sme of the top distillers in the cuntry were invited to try their hand's at making a run of it. The finished product will be auctioned off. I sure would like to get my hands on a bottle of that stuff!
Here's the link to the stuff: http://www.anchorbrewing.com/about_us/oldpotrero_18th.htm I have to see if my local merchant can order this for me.

 

[Mike Moore]

Skagun,
Most of the "Taos Lighting" was a wheat based product. While studying about Turley's Mill (one of the places where it was made), I found out that Simeon had a nice set up there. He grew wheat in the valley, fed the left overs to his pigs and then had the pigs for dinners. The T.L.
was brought north in small kegs on the back of mules and when it reached the settlements (El Pueblo, various forts along the Platte) it was combined into larger containers.
I don't drink much of the hard stuff, so can not tell you how it matches up with others of like make. But, can tell you that the family came from Missouri and Kentucky, who like a few other in the region, brought with them their knowledge and stills to produce it. But, will say that the best I have had so far was a 1963 port that was openned at our christmas party this year. That was smooth and went down well.
mike.

 

[bnail]

Most of the "Taos Lighting" was a wheat based product.

That's intetesting Mike. I just recently found out that my favorite whiskey is wheat (Makers Mark). Jim beam is corn, and Canadian club and crown royal are rye. since these are not single malt, their ratios are probably only 51%.
I don't recal hearing about Taos Lightening, I guess I'll have to get back in the books :hmm:

 

[Sutallee]

Skagan -

Makers Mark does have a measure of wheat in it, but under Federal law, any whiskey that is labeled and sold as bourbon has to have at least 51% corn in the mash. So, Makers Mark is still corn based even though there is wheat in it. Regardless, it is some fine whiskey, isn't it?

 

[bnail]

Well that makes be feel better, and it do go down smooooth! :thumbsup:

 

[Homesteader]

My comment has far more to do with principle than particulars, of course. Y'all knew that from the onset. I reiterate: I truly believe George W. was a Titan of a man. (To surrender power: Wow! He could have been our Napolean!)
Nonetheless, his actions regarding the Whiskey Rebellion showed that he was ultimately sympathetic to aristoctratic and eastern merchants' concerns to the detriment of the frontiersmen and commoners in the west. Sadly, this was the first evident consolidation of the Federal Forces that would ultimately create such a stong central government that we "enjoy" today.
Then again, that's an opinion others do reject.

 

OK, now that that's settled, let's drop the politics and get back to the whiskey. :winking: :grin:

 

[bnail]

"I Toast the long line of tipplers who've perpetuated this noble tradition"

:hatsoff:

 

[dodgecity]

Ignoring Run, Brandy, Wine, etc, If you're talking whiskey. you're probably refering to rye whiskey. Monongehela rye! With the demise of the Michter distillary, the closest you're going to get is "Old Overholt".

 

[redwing]

GEEs!!! Dodgecity , "Old Overholt" is Gawdalful stuff. Rum was the chosen drink before that little break-up with the King. The Brits cut off the rum supply right away. The Scotch-Irish had been making corn whiskey for some time. When the rum was gone americans embraced the "Corn Likker". :thumbsup:

 

[dodgecity]

Oh, yes it is raw. Someone gave me a bottle as a gift 8 years ago. I think this may have been a case of re-gifting. At any rate, I still have it and I have no plans for using it. Probably would have been ok for an original rendezvous though.