In the year 1950, the whiskey industry in America was just recovering from the hard times of the past. Prohibition ended in 1933, but it was in the middle of the Great Depression and the distillers needed to build their... Continue Reading →
Most people today will recognize the “King” brand as being a limited release Bourbon from Brown-Forman, but that is not the origin of the label. The brand dates back to the post-Prohibition era as a blended whiskey in Brown-Forman’s portfolio. ... Continue Reading →
This advertising picture is from 1947. It is an Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond advertisement printed on a panel and made to be either hung on the wall or to stand on top of cases of Old Fitzgerald on display in a... Continue Reading →
About ten years ago, I was able to purchase a rare book titled Kentucky’s Distilling Interests, published in 1893 by The Kentucky Distillers’ Bureau Co. I had only seen one other copy of the book and that is in the... Continue Reading →
Long before Guinness created United Distillers, in the 1990s, there was a company formed in the 1930s named United Distillers Limited (U.D.L.). They date to just after the repeal of Prohibition and they were originally based in Canada and the... Continue Reading →
I have often been asked the question, “What did Bourbon and Rye Whiskeys taste like in the 19th century?” Tasting notes and tasting descriptors for whiskey in the way that they are written today were not written and used in... Continue Reading →
I have a fairly large collection of both whiskey bottles and other items related to whiskey advertising and whiskey history. I am fortunate in that I have the third floor of our old house for my office and whiskey storage.... Continue Reading →
I recently visited Tom Ripy in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. He is related to the Ripy family of distillers that are famous for their distilleries in Anderson County, Kentucky. He was kind enough to let me make a copy of this historic,... Continue Reading →
Before Prohibition, Louisville was the home to a very prestigious industry magazine, The Wine and Spirits Bulletin. The Louisville Free Public Library has a collection of these magazines and this image comes from one of the early editions in that... Continue Reading →
