dave ziegler
12-04-2006, 18:09
I will never forget the first day I went into the whiskey Warehouses at Kinsey I had been bumped off the Yard crew! I was sent to a Man named Ben Meyers that was a job boss, The first thing He asked me was if my Dads Name was Clarence I said yes as my dad had worked there a year or so right after I was born, I thought Oh boy I'm in trouble. Well turned out He liked my Dad and gave me the easiest Job just standing in the racks rolling Barrels out to the end with a Flashlight as you could not see in front of you deep in the racks! And the worst Job was bending and rolling them a long distance. Later that day on break he Said Dave I know you will need a drink now and then so I will personally show you how to get yourself one? Well he pulled out a sort of Cork screw with a Slamming cylinder on it and a Bastard File. We went back one of the racks he Had counted out told me they would set up a Rack with some Barrels staged forward so there would be room to roll one forward to get Whiskey but you had to make sure you moved the right ones and Had something ready to drink! They did this in all the warehouses as months might go by till you got back in one, that being why the Air was so blue with fumes. Well we found some Nice Old Rye Whiskey as the Barrel Heads had what they were Ink stensiled and dated on them how many years old. He took the screw thing turned it in the Wooden bung and slamed the cylinder back and forth till the bung popped out with its cloth. Next he took the File and filed two small U's one on each side he told me this would be the Pourer. Then he warned Me Never forget the Bung cloth when you put the bung back as you will get a mouthful of Wood the cloth would be your filter! The Barrels were Hickory or Oak and were chared inside and had what they called stay floaters pieces of wood chared loose inside too! He put the bung Back handed me a new Pint Bottle and then rolled the Barrel forward and a Perfect stream of Whiskey poured right into my Bottle. One of the Very Best Warehouse Jobs other then a Boss was the Cooper it was Hard work but paid well. A Cooper could take a pile of loose Chared Stays and build a barrel with old Rusty Steel rings in minutes with a special Hammer that instead of Having a head had a slot in the head to lay on the Ring and you would take a hand Sledge Hammer and Hit the Cooper Hammer against the rings till you got them all tight going all around them, then the barrel would not leak it is a lost art today as most whiskey is done in Stainless tanks with the wood foaters! That is why Old hickory was so Flavorful as it was made in small barrels of wood and not large Vats! After I was there a couple of years none of the old 1941/46 Ford flat trucks had any doors on them anymore and no wipers you would be going down the Plant road 30/40 Miles an hour with no doors no mirrors and no wipers if it was raining you would reach out and wipe the winshield with a rag while driving with your right hand never did we think about how dangerous this was yet no one ever seemed to get hurt if they did they did not feel it! I will never forget the director of traffic in the Plant his name was Bonda Bergy and He never drove on the road lived across the street but in the plant he drove a old 1951 Plymouth and I would see him driving and shifting into second gear and then he would reach down bring a bottle up put it to his mouth and his neck would jump as downed some Whiskey. Every truck that came in had to follow Bonda to where they were to deliver. We also had sometimes in the Winter Months a former New York Yankee Catcher Gus Nierohos ( May not have his last name spelled right ) He was back up catcher to Yoggie and Elston Howard in the old days and a really cool Guy! I will most likely write some more later as I am a slow typer!
Dave Z
Dave Z