Whisky Facts

Spirits helped build America in many ways. Rum in particular had always been favored drink by Americans, however in the late seventeenth century, New Englanders began importing raw molasses so they could distill their own rum at a lesser cost. This became an extremely profitable business and arguably helped America come one step closer to independence as they deviated away from British rule and became self-sufficient. In addition, when the British passed the Molasses Act in 1773, American colonists defied the law and continued smuggling in molasses in order to maintain their economy. This led to their resistance against more acts passed by their English counterparts and eventually to their freedom at

"Cooley Distillery: The Independent Spirit of Ireland" is a "David and Goliath" case surrounding Cooley Distillery, which is the only independently owned Irish whiskey distiller in the world. Located in Ireland, the company has managed to survive strong competition in the oligopolistic category of Irish whiskey in the global spirits industry for 25 years. The non-listed public company has remained a niche player despite gaining a staggering reputation for quality and innovation in its offerings. One of the biggest problems faced by the company is that in all these years, Cooley Distillery has never managed to pay any dividends to its 290 shareholders and John Teeling, the founder and chairman

Spirits became very popular during the Age of Exploration because of their high alcohol content. One could carry a lot more alcohol on a ship, and take up significantly less room. Spirits were also a key player in the Slave Trade in the United States. Spirits could be traded for slaves, and therefore was a huge contributor to the economy of the United States. The United States could never have been the superpower it is today had it not been for the contribution of the Slave Trade and spirits to our economy. However, when distillers in Newport began the production of rum with a higher alcohol content, meant specifically for use as currency in the slave trade, the English, who had previously provided spirits as made in the British sugar islands, became discontent with their new competition. The English then imposed a high tax on molasses so that it was more expensive to make rum in Newport. But, these new taxation laws were ignored completely. When the British did nothing about this, it created a newfound resentment and disregard of the British. This tax law influenced the fight for American

In a time of voyages and exploration there was a new atmosphere surrounding not only Europe but also the newly discovered Americas. Of course with a new era must come and new favorite drink of choice amongst the people. For the Colonial age this beverage was spirits. By popularizing a technique known as distillation a new range of drinks were on the rise. When originally cultivated spirits were primarily used for medical purposes. The appeal then turned to how easily people were intoxicated by it and how much easier it was to store. Distilled drinks then became popular mainly because of increased durability and could more compactly fit on ships. Distilled drinks were more easily traded, traders were able to fit more alcohol in the ship much

What is the first thing someone would think about when whiskey is mentioned? A fun Saturday night out? Maybe, but it they probably did not think about the Whiskey Rebellion of 1791. This Rebellion was resisted by farmers who were accustomed to distilling their excess corn to make alcohol in four small counties in both Pennsylvania and Western Pennsylvania. This Rebellion was met full force with troops set by George Washington. This event was a prime example of the battle between State’s Rights versus Federal Authority as illustrated in the book, Founding Brothers written by Joseph J. Ellis. Even today, the battle continues between the States and the Federal Government regarding the issue of legal marijuana. This issue started 2012 when the

Its official name on a nautical chart was Exercise Area W-601. However, it was more often referred to as “Whiskey Six Oh One”, or as Canadian Navy sailors had shortened it, “Whiskey”. Of course, the name gives the notion that there is a connection with libation; however, the curious title is simply due to the military’s desire to use the phonetic alphabet to spell out letters. This is why the “W” in W-601

The tax on whiskey developed tension between the east and the west because of their differences on politics. Slaughter reinforces his claim by establishing the relationship between the easterners and westerners; mainly by giving examples of what they thought about each other. Slaughter explains that the easterners thought that the westerners were

Consumption of alcohol changed greatly after the war as well. Whiskey became the America's favorite liquor, and a deeply valued trade item. It was efficient to make, saved materials, and cheap for people to buy. Whiskey was suddenly being consumed in record amounts, and was even used to instead of water and milk in cities, where the water was often polluted and the milk expensive (Blocker 9). Drinking changed in ways other than higher consumption rates and cheaper whisky in cities. Whereas in the colonies drinking took place in community situations, in the cities drinking often took place outside the home. It was no longer being produced by families but had to be purchased with money that can ultimately hurt the family. People began drinking more in informal individual situations instead of closely tied community events, creating hostility

The Whiskey Rebellion was created from many issues, not just the excise tax on whiskey. Farmers in western Pennsylvania blocked roads to prevent tax collectors from reaching them and to show their disdain for the taxes placed on the farmers that they

The military suppression of the Whisky Rebellion told citizens who wished to change the law that they had to do so peacefully through constitutional means; otherwise, the government would meet any threats to disturb the peace with force. The suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion also had the unintended consequences of encouraging small whiskey producers and other settlers to relocate to the then-frontier lands of Kentucky and Tennessee, which were outside the sphere of Federal control for many years. In these frontier areas, they also found good corn-growing country and smooth, limestone-filtered water to make their whiskey.

After two distillations, the clear, colorless alcohol is given itsdistinctive nutty brown color and flavor by aging wood, often oak barrel. The longer abrandy ages, the more refined its flavor is judged to be. Brandy is a spirit made by distilling grapes to a higher proof than they achieve

The Whiskey Rebellion was a rebellion on the first excise tax in the United States over "distilled spirits" but with whiskey being the most popular distilled beverage, this became known as the "Whiskey Rebellion". Taking place from March, 1791 to October, 1794, the rebellion started when Alexander Hamilton enacted the new tax with the newly formed federal government.

The Whiskey Excise Tax hit rural farmers especially hard, and they started crying foul almost immediately after passage. It was criticized for being an “unreasonable economic hardship and as an ominous intrusion by central authorities into local affairs” (Gould, 1996, 405). These “westerners” felt as if they were being unjustly victimized by this tax. Most farmers during this period in American history worked extremely hard just to make ends meet, so operating a whiskey distillery offered them a source of extra income. In the minds of these western farmers this tax left them at a competitive disadvantage with eastern farmers. Western small-time farmers generally had small whiskey distillers. These frontier distillers could not run as efficiently as the larger distillers in the east, so their tax burden was much greater. For this reason many of the western farmers felt that Secretary Hamilton had set up a system that was giving tax-breaks to the larger eastern-based distillers. This sentiment is often echoed in today’s world- that the federal government promotes “big business” (Holt, 2004, 30). The cause of much of this rile and frustration, however, stems from the age-old

They brought their music and cuisine with them. Some of the food staples included potatoes, oatmeal and barley. The barley was used in the making of whiskey; oatmeal was their breakfast and potatoes (they would starve without their potatoes). They also enjoy soups, beef, and short-bread. The music of the Scotch-Irish can be found primarily in the Appalachian Mountains. The region is ripe with folk songs of the culture. The Scotch-Irish are a clannish lot meaning they would travel with their clans and settle in the same area. (Everyculture) This also allowed the Scotch-Irish to keep their culture intact.

Cooley Distillery, found in Dundalk, Co. Louth, was the first new whiskey distillery to be set up in Ireland in over 100 years and it is Ireland’s youngest, smallest and only independent whiskey distillery (“The Cooley Distillery”). John Teeling, a successful business enthusiast, investor, and Harvard Business school scholar, who found great interest and opportunity in Irish whiskey, established it in 1987. Cooley began distilling in 1989. The origins of Irish whiskey dates back to around 600 A.D., when Irish monks brought the alembic and the secret of distillation from the Middle East, according to the history of Irish Distillers. The Irish name “uisce beatha” translates to “water