The American Whiskey Trail^[1] is a cultural heritage and tourism initiative of the Distilled Spirits Council in cooperation with historic Mount Vernon. It provides an educational journey into the history and cultural heritage of distilled spirits in the United States. Back of the main house. ...

Background

Whiskey and other distilled spirits, such as rum, played an important role in both the American colonies and in the new American republic. As early as 1657, a rum distillery was operating in Boston. It was highly successful and within a generation the production of rum became colonial New England's largest and most prosperous industry. Whisky (or whiskey) is an alcoholic beverage distilled from grain, often including malt, which has then been aged in wooden barrels. ... Various distilled beverages in a Spanish bar A distilled beverage, also called spirits or liquor, is a preparation for consumption containing ethyl alcohol purified by distillation from a fermented substance such as wine, malt, or grain. ... Caribbean rum, circa 1941 Rum is a distilled beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses and sugarcane juice by a process of fermentation and distillation. ... Events January 8 - Miles Sindercombe, would-be-assassin of Oliver Cromwell, and his group are captured in London February - Admiral Robert Blake defeats the Spanish West Indian Fleet in a battle over the seizure of Jamaica. ... Distillation is a means of separating liquids through differences in their boiling points. ...

When the British blockade prevented the importation of sugar and molasses, and thereby disrupted the production of rum, a substitute was sought to meet the demand for spirits in general and for provisions for the Revolutionary Army in particular. It was found in whiskey. Magnification of typical sugar showing monoclinic hemihedral crystal stucture. ... Molasses or treacle is a thick syrup by-product from the processing of the sugarcane or sugar beet into sugar. ... Whisky (or whiskey) is an alcoholic beverage distilled from grain, often including malt, which has then been aged in wooden barrels. ...

Even before the Revolution, whiskey had become the preferred way to use surplus grains in the frontier settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains. The expansion of a corn belt in Kentucky and Ohio had created a corn glut. There were no roads in the region and most transportation was by packhorse. It cost more to transport corn or grain than it could bring on the eastern markets, so farmers distilled it into "liquid assets" that could easily be shipped or bartered. Practically every farmer made whiskey and it became a medium of exchange. A rainy day in the Great Smoky Mountains, Western North Carolina Appalachia, the central and southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States, also including the Allegany and Cumberland Plateaus The Appalachian Mountains (French: les Appalaches) are a vast system of North American mountains, partly in Canada, but mostly in the... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ...

The first Kentucky whiskey was made in 1789 and a tax on whiskey led to the first test of federal power, the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794. After serving as president, George Washington became probably the new republic's largest whiskey distiller.^[2] The Whiskey Rebellion was a popular uprising that had its beginnings in 1791 and culminated in an insurrection in 1794 in the locality of Washington, Pennsylvania, in the Monongahela Valley. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732–December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and was later elected the first President of the United States. ...

By 1810, there were at least 2,000 distillers producing more than two million gallons of whiskey. Annual absolute alcohol consumption (including wine, beer, etc.) may have been as high as ten gallons per person, a level over four times the current rate.

The trail

The American Whiskey Trail consists of historical sites and operating distilleries that are open to the public for tours:

• George Washington Distillery Museum, in Mount Vernon, Virginia.
• Fraunces Tavern Museum, in Manhattan, New York.
• Gadsby's Tavern Museum, in Alexandria, Virginia.
• Woodville Plantation, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
• Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey, in Bardstown, Kentucky.
• West Overton Museums, in Scottdale, Pennsylvania.
• Oliver Miller Homestead, in South Park, Pennsylvania.

Operating whiskey distilleries open to the public: George Washington (February 22, 1732–December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and was later elected the first President of the United States. ... Mount Vernon is the name of several places around the world, most notably Mount Vernon, the Virginia plantation of George Washington, the first President of the United States. ... The current Fraunces Tavern restaurant on Pearl Street in lower Manhattan 1. ... For other uses, see Manhattan (disambiguation). ... Front view of the Gadsby Tavern Gadsbys Tavern Museum is located in Alexandria, Virginia. ... Location in Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia Founded 1718 Mayor William D. Euille Area    - City 39. ... Location in the state of Pennsylvania Formed January 22, 1800 Seat Pittsburgh Area  - Total  - Water 1,929 km² (745 mi²) 38 km² (15 mi²) 1. ... Bardstown is a city located in Nelson County, Kentucky. ... Scottdale is a borough located in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. ... South Park Township, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

• Jim Beam, in Clermont, Kentucky
• Maker's Mark, in Loretto, Kentucky
• Wild Turkey, in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
• Woodford Reserve, in Versailles, Kentucky
• George Dickel, in Tullahoma, Tennessee
• Jack Daniel's, in Lynchburg, Tennessee

Also included are two rum distilleries: The standard white Jim Beam label Jim Beam is a brand of bourbon whiskey, distilled in Clermont, Kentucky. ... Clermont is a USGS-designated populated place (one of 32) located in Bullitt County, Kentucky, south of Louisville. ... Makers Mark Bourbon House and Lounge in Fourth Street Live!, Louisville. ... Loretto is a city located in Marion County, Kentucky. ... Wild Turkey bourbon bottle and logo Wild Turkey (also known as the dirty bird) is a line of Kentucky bourbon whiskey distilled and bottled by the Austin, Nichols division of Pernod Ricard, an international beverage corporation. ... Lawrenceburg is a city located in Anderson County, Kentucky. ... Woodford Reserve is a brand of premium bourbon whiskey made by the Labrot & Graham Distillery, near Versailles, Woodford County, Kentucky. ... Versailles is a city located in Woodford County, Kentucky. ... George Dickel is the name of a brand of Tennessee whiskey manufactured in Cascade Hollow, Tennessee, near Tullahoma. ... Tullahoma is a city located in Coffee County, Tennessee, in the south-central part of the state. ... Statue of Jack Daniel at the Distillery in November 2004. ... Lynchburg is a consolidated city-county government whose boundaries coincide with those of Moore County, Tennessee. ...

• Bacardi, in Catano, Puerto Rico
• Cruzan, in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Sites along the American Whiskey Trail can be visited in any order or sequence desired. The current version of the article or section reads like an advertisement. ... Cata o is a small city in northern Puerto Rico, and is one of the smallest towns in Puerto Rico as well as one of the youngest. ... Cruzan Rum is a rum made in Saint Croix from sugar cane molasses. ... A separate article treats the several rivers known as the St. ...

Trivia

The Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniels distilleries are located in dry counties. A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages. ...

Notes

1. ^ Unless otherwise indicated, this article is sourced from The American Whiskey Trail.
2. ^ [1]

Woodford County, Kentucky (where Woodford Reserve is made) is not a dry county and has not been a dry county since prohibition ended.

References

• Barr, A. Drink: A Social History of America. New York: Carroll & Graf, 1999.
• Grimes, William. Straight Up or On the Rocks: A Cultural History of American Drink. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993.
• Lender, Mark E., and Martin, James K. Drinking in America: A History. New York: The Free Press, 1982.
• Popham, Robert E. The Social History of the Tavern. In: Israel, Yedy, er al. (eds.) Research Advances in Alcohol and Drug Problems. New York: Plenum, 1978. Volume 4. Pp. 255-302.
• Rorabaugh, William J. The Alcoholic Republic: An American Tradition. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979.
• Rorabaugh, William J. Alcohol in America. Magazine of History, 1991, 6, 17-19.
• Roueche, Berton. The Neutral Spirit: A Portrait of Alcohol. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1960.
• Adapted in part from National Prohibition of Alcohol in the U.S.

External links

• American Whiskey Trail
• George Washington’s Distillery