Bourbon Empire (33 page)

(Image courtesy of Jim Beam.)

“Now they were whiskey men.” The five Shapira brothers (pictured above, along with Charles DeSpain, a distillery executive) founded Heaven Hill shortly after Prohibition ended. During its early years, the company would use the image of
William Heavenhill
, a farmer who had once lived near the location of the Shapiras’ new distillery, to help create a sense of heritage and authenticity around the company. By 2014, Heaven Hill would be the largest family-owned distillery in the United States, responsible for labels such as Evan Williams and Elijah Craig, as well as scores of others.

(Image courtesy of Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.)

“

(Image courtesy of Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.)

Up until the mid-twentieth century, distilleries often celebrated whiskey’s nature as a highly processed, industrial product on labels or even on
business cards
. This connection has faded as modern food politics, alongside romantic nostalgia surrounding America’s agrarian past, have transformed whiskey’s agricultural qualities into better marketing tools.

(Image courtesy of The Filson Historical Society.)

(Image courtesy of Jack Sullivan.)

An executive from Seagram’s, one of the four companies that would come to dominate nearly three-quarters of the American whiskey trade in the twentieth century, confidently addresses members of Congress in 1939 during a hearing to investigate the industry’s monopolistic business practices.

(Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.)

Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle was the marketing guru behind the legendary Stitzel-Weller Distillery, helping boost the popularity of “wheated” bourbon during the latter half of the twentieth century. Years after his death and the shuttering of Stitzel-Weller, Van Winkle’s grandson would market a brand named after him, sourcing its production from Buffalo Trace.

(Image courtesy of Buffalo Trace Distillery.)

Hybrid pot-column stills being manufactured at Vendome Copper & Brass Works in Louisville, Kentucky. Vendome is responsible for the still technology used by many of America’s distilleries, both large and small.

(Image courtesy of the author.)

Distilleries like Coppersea in Hyde Park, New York, are both reinventing and resurrecting American whiskey by bringing back forgotten techniques, such as “green malting,” and by using pot stills (pictured here) that are direct fired.

(Image courtesy of the author.)

In order to write a book like this—a blend of commentary and history—one must have a lot of conversations. Mike Veach of Louisville’s Filson Historical Society was always gracious with his time. Chuck Cowdery, as the dean of American whiskey writers, was also an invaluable source of insight, be it through his blog (www.chuckcowdery.blogspot.com), books, industry newsletter, or occasional e-mail in response to a question. My afternoon spent with Dixie Hibbs, the former mayor of Bardstown and the author of a book on Nelson County distilleries, was one of my favorite memories about this project.

There were many helpful people within the whiskey industry, but here are some of the standouts: Greg Davis, Matt Hofmann, Freddie Johnson, Angus MacDonald, Chris Morris, Amir Peay, David Pickerell, Paul Pogue, Bill Samuels, Jr., Amy Preske, John Uselton, and Christopher Williams. At the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Frank Coleman, Lisa Hawkins, and Alexandra Sklansky were always helpful and informative.

Finally, there is a small group of whiskey bloggers whose work I love. Many were gracious enough to share research and leads with me; others I’ve never spoken with, and that’s my fault. In any case, they helped clear the fog of click bait that dominates spirits coverage in today’s media. Josh Feldman at www.cooperedtot.com is a joy to read and somebody who truly “gets” whiskey; Jack Sullivan at www.pre-prow hiskeymen.blogspot.com writes wonderful histories of pre-Prohibition era distillers and was a great help; Steve Ury at Sku’s Recent Eats, www.recenteats.blogspot.com, is tireless, thorough, and thoughtful; Brian Haara at www.sippncorn.blogspot.com is a lawyer dominating the niche
of people who write about the whiskey industry of the late 1800s from the perspective of lawsuits; www.thebourbontruth.tumblr.com shall remain anonymous, as he likes it; the
Whisky Advocate
blog, www.whisky advocate.com/blog, is always informative; David Driscoll at California wine retailer K&L Merchants writes one of the most thoughtful and smart blogs in the business at www.spiritsjournal.klwines.com; Fred Minnick, author of
Whiskey Women
and regular contributor to
Whisky Advocate
and
Whisky Magazine
, also provides gems of whiskey knowledge at www.fredminnick.com. Other good blogs include: www.ellen jaye.com; www.inwithbacchus.com; www.whiskyfun.com; www.bour bonguy.com; www.whiskycast.com; www.alcademics.com; www.themash notes.com; www.matthew-rowley.blogspot.com (now defunct, but the old posts are great); www.sourmashmanifesto.com; www.bourbonr .com; and the discussion forums found at www.straightbourbon.com and www.bourbonenthusiast.com.

Thanks to Michelle Brower at Folio Literary Management for finding this project the best home possible. At Viking, Liz Van Hoose got everything aimed in the right direction. Melanie Tortoroli helped me land it without crashing.

A few writers, often unbeknownst to them, served as valuable guides: William Hogeland, Henry Crowgey, Marni Davis, Wayne Curtis, William Grimes, W. J. Rorabaugh, Thomas Slaughter, and Richard Taylor.

Here are other people I owe a drink for at some point having a conversation that provided some gem of insight, or many such gems: Derek Brown, Lew Bryson, Doug Campau, Sierra Clark, Mickey Meece, Maureen Petrosky, Lawrence Powell, Clay Risen, Adam Rogers, Allan Roth, Jay Somerset, Brian Spatola, Lauren Viera, and Amy Zavatto. Other friends who read early drafts or gave needed advice: Eric Broxmeyer, Austin Considine, Matt Ryan, Ryan Stahl, Ryan Stayton, Alison Thomas, and Todd Zwillich.

And of course I owe my parents far more than a brief mention in an acknowledgments section, as well as my siblings, Sara and Pete. I’m also lucky to have great in-laws, Dave and Pat, whose handiwork produced my wife, Lauren, who gets the most credit of all.