Dead distillers: the Kings County Distillery history of the entrepreneurs and outlaws who made American spirits

Description

Founders and award-winning distillers of Kings County Distillery Colin Spoelman and David Haskell follow up their successful Guide to Urban Moonshining with an extensive history of the figures who distilled American spirits. The book presents 50 fascinating, and sometimes morbid, biographies from this historic trade's bygone days, including farmers, scientists, oligarchs, criminals, and the occasional US president. Readers may be surprised to find the names George Washington, Henry Frick, or Andrew Mellon alongside the usual suspects long associated with booze-Jasper 'Jack' Daniel, Jim Beam, and Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle. From the Whiskey Rebellion to Prohibition to the recent revival of craft spirits, the history of whiskey, moonshine, and other spirits remains an important part of Americana. The book includes historical photos, infographics, walking-tour maps, and newsclippings.