Evolution Of Whiskey Essay

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

Rum distillers, sensing the opportunity to make a profit, imported molasses from the West Indies and made rum themselves, instead of relying on expensive middlemen. Britain tried to get in on the profit, imposing a tax in the Molasses Act of 1733, which would have cut New England’s economic output significantly. However, the act backfired; distillers smuggled molasses to avoid the tax, laying the foundation for a boycott of British goods during the American Revolution. The British, perhaps ignoring lessons learned from the Molasses Act, passed the Sugar Act in 1764, at the end of the French and Indian War. Reasoning that America should foot the bill for most of its war costs, the British “decided to strengthen and enforce the Molasses Act” (Standage 119). Americans were unhappy, and organized the Sons of Liberty to protest the tax, decrying “taxation without representation”. The British added more and more taxes, only adding flames to the fire. Americans broke under the onslaught of taxes and decided to revolt, starting the American Revolution, which had profound effects on world history. While the tax on tea was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, and, thusly, is “associated with the start of the revolution” (Standage 120), the simmering flames of a revolution that would create one of the most powerful countries in world history started when the British imposed a tax on sugar, used to make

"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

Towards the end of the 16th century, the United States government experienced continuous changes in laws(taxes) and several problems(battling and removal of Indians) associated with westward expansion. Conflict was created in response to the rising taxes issued by the government on goods such as whiskey. Most affected by the heavy taxation were the creators and distributors of whiskey - the average poor white farmer. An incident that occurred in 1794 involving enraged farmers in western Pennsylvania, threatened the tax collectors lives as well as the authority of the government. This incident came to be known as the Whiskey Rebellion.

From the first years in American history, we have drank. Records of the first Europeans on America’s mainland tell about the colonists’ "great thirste" after their original supplies of European-made alcohol ran out. The settlers made their own wine. Eve Alcohol was imported from all over the world. Innovative colonists made alcohol from almost anything. One song from the 1700’s went like this:

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

Native Americans as a whole have been typecast as drunks ever since the coming of the white man’s “fire water.” TS Naimi, MD et al. reports that alcohol is responsible for 11.7% of all American Indian and Alaska Native deaths, compared to 3.3% for the U.S. general population (939). This disturbing discrepancy reinforces the age old notion of the “drunk Indian.” Generalizations aside, is there some truth to this stereotype? Are Indians more likely than other races to be drunks? Of all the races, “Native Americans have the highest prevalence (12.1%) of heavy drinking…A larger percentage of Native Americans (29.6%) also are binge drinkers” (Chartier and Caetano 153). Although some research has been done on genetic causes, little is

The novel I chose to read for my summer book critique was called The Whiskey Rebels by an American author, David Liss. The Whiskey Rebels is an American fiction novel inspired by events in the early history of the United States. The setting of where the book took place was after the Revolutionary War and in the late 1700s. The book’s main characters are its two narrators, Joan Maycott and Ethan Saunders who live two separate lives but cross paths in time over the scandal of William Duer. Ethan Saunders was a spy during the Revolution for Colonel George Washington but after being charged with accusations of treason he is living in Philadelphia in disgrace. Joan Maycott and her husband Andrew Maycott who was a Revolutionary war veteran were moved to the west where they were promised land for Mr. Maycotts’ war debt. Soon after receiving land from their landlord they realize that their land is worthless and they won’t profit off of it. Later they make an accomplishment off of their whiskey distilling. After Tindall realizes they are the ones making the new whiskey he takes all of their land including killing Andrew. After the killing of her husband Joan sets out on revenge for William Duer in hopes of stopping his hopes for taking over the banking system of the United States and also Hamilton’s rise of power. Ethan Saunders the disgrace of the war hopes to finally figure out who framed him and his lost love Cynthia Pearson's father Fleet during the Revolutionary War. Throughout

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.

On June 21st of 1788 the United States of America was an optimistic place to live. The newly formed country had officially ratified their Constitution on this date, and within a year George Washington would become its first President. These events signified an unofficial end to the American Revolution, which had its start in part, because Americans had rejected the notion of taxation without representation. This modern form of government, however, did, have some problems it needed to deal with. Unable to levy taxes in previous years the federal government had found itself deep in debt. This federal debt also included all the states debt as well (Chernow, 2004, 297). The government desperately needed to find a source of revenue to pay off

Picture prosperous, rum fervent, American colonies. It was precisely that, until it all initiated with the Molasses Act of 1733. This act declared that any countries outside the British Empire would adopt a tax of six pence per gallon on molasses. In order to make their beloved rum, they would need molasses, as it was the utmost vital ingredient and the most popular industry amongst the colonies. The tax was somewhat lax, so colonists began smuggling foreign molasses. Then commenced the Sugar Act, which enforced the taxes upon the American colonists, upsetting them greatly. The high taxes, lack of a representative in Parliament and overall unfair treatment of the colonists caused a lot of anger and mistrust, leading the Sugar Act to become

Alcohol has been the lifeblood of civilization dating thousands of years back in time, and it is clear to see the culture impact it has made throughout history. People perceive alcohol in many different ways; depending on gender, age, religious background, or social upbringing. Throughout history alcohol has affected different cultures and various demographics. It has been a source of pleasure and aesthetic in many cultures, along with being one of the oldest rites of passage, especially in modern day American society. Alcohol and drinking were also an integral part of religious observances throughout history and culture. The use of alcohol can be seen as a social lubricant, and besides being a thirst quencher, it can play a pivotal role

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