John McCarthy - Whiskey Rebels: The Dreamers, Visionaries & Badasses Who Are Revolutionizing American Whiskey

How Ralph Erenzo Inspired a Generation of Distillers

How Christian Krogstad Fueled the Emergence of AmericanSingle Malt

How a Tiny Vermont Distillery Helped Elevate Rye to the Top Shelf

How Jess Graber and Rob Dietrich Built a Grassroots WhiskeyCommunity into a Colorado Whiskey Empire

How Paul Hletko Emerged as the King of Craft Whiskey Innovation

How a Lone Star State Distillery Helped Put Texas Whiskyon the Map

How Andrew Webber and Darek Bell Brought Small-Batch DistillingBack to Tennessee

How Colin Spoelman Made His Shiner Spirit from the AppalachianHills the Backbone of a Big City Distillery

How a Baltimore Distillery Is Restoring Marylands Once-Proud RyeDistilling Tradition

The emergence of the American craft whiskey movement in the early 21st century reminds me of the Seattle rock music scenes ascent in the early 1990s. Seemingly out of nowhere came a raw sound from the Pacific Northwest that sounded both familiar and fresh at the same time. What became known as grunge was just a bit more polished than punk, but less fussy than the hair metal scene that had been in decline since its peak in the 80s. Seattle bands were playing empty dive bars and basements while slowly building a following. Over time, their fan base began to expand, and Los Angeles record companies came courting. Nirvana was the first to sign to a major label, and Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains followed soon after. While Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, Layne Staley, and their respective groups were doing world tours, the local bands who either didnt score or didnt want a major label deal often remained beloved local cult bands who never sold out. The signed bands amassed a national audience and became brand ambassadors for emerging groups around the country, empowering them to find their own sound and build an audience the grassroots way. Suddenly, eclectic hard rock bands from all around the nation were on the scene and a new chapter in American music was in the books.

The entrepreneurs who shaped the American craft whiskey scene in the early 21st century are like the Seattle bands of the 90s. The most ambitious of these early craft pioneers werent interested in imitating what the big-box producers in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana were doing. These guys were searching for their own sound. When these bold entrepreneurs first came to market, they met skeptics at every turnthey were routinely savaged by critics, stalled by state regulators, and ignored by distributors. But this scrappy community stood strong, pushed through, and got better. Those who persevered began to see their hard labor pay off. First one, then another American craft whiskey was acquired by a large company. Distillers that were local heroes suddenly found a national audience. Some became millionaires. Like rock stars, distillers found themselves on world tours promoting their soon-to-be-famous brands. Others chose not to sell. Most were never asked. Sadly, some have perished. But like the pioneers of the Seattle sound, successful start-up brands like Hudson, FEW, and Stranahans have inspired hundreds of entrepreneurs from all walks of life to make whiskey.

whiskey famous: During his Stranahans days, Rob Dietrich worked to create a new chapter in American whiskey history.

At first, many predicted that this craft movement was more of a moment, a passing trend riding the coattails of bourbons renaissance. But this new chapter in American whiskey is here to stay. Todays youth will be met with a much richer tapestry of whiskeys when they first step into a bar than anything older generations encountered. American whiskey is no longer a product of three states; its a national revolution. This book focuses on several of the pioneers who made this movement happenbut first, a little history.

employees gather in front of what is now called the Old Taylor House, located at Buffalo Trace Distillery (then known as OFC Distillery), circa 1879.

unidentified men on the Kentucky River bank with what is now Buffalo Trace Distillery in background, circa 1890

inside the OFC Distillery, circa 1879

Col. E.H. Taylor Jr., circa 1900

The modern-day Buffalo Trace Distillery, which sits on the Kentucky River

A Brief US Whiskey History

When Thomas Jefferson abolished the whiskey tax in 1802, it kicked off a whiskey boom in the United States rooted in agriculture and tradition. Back then, farmers were often also distillers who converted leftover grains into whiskey, or fruit into eau-de-vie or brandy, to be sold, bartered, or consumed. By mid-century, the whiskey business had transformed into an industrial monster, overrun by shady industrial rectifiers who were far more concerned with profit than quality. In fact, much of the commercial booze at the time was downright hazardous to consume. While cheap rotgut was dominating the market, there were some respectable distillers making quality whiskey. One such distiller was Colonel E.H. Taylor.

After the Civil War, Taylor purchased a mom-and-pop distillery on the banks of the Kentucky River and renamed it the OFC (Old Fire Copper Distillery). Taylor put his heart into transforming his humble distillery into a state-of-the-art facility where he could produce quality whiskey. Always the visionary, he installed pricey copper fermentation tanks, steam- powered column stills, and a steam-heated warehouse in an attempt to speed up the aging process. Taylor was a marketing mastermind, but poor business decisions and a ballooning debt forced him to sell a majority of the company to wholesaler George T. Stagg in 1878. Taylor remained at the distillery as an employee for seven years before cashing out. In the separation deal, Taylor obtained the title to the J. Swigert Taylor Distillery, a small facility in nearby Woodford County that had been purchased by Stagg and Taylor in 1882. The first order of business was to establish E.H. Taylor, Jr. and Sons Co. and rename the distillery Old Taylor.