List of defunct/gone distilleries in the US

[imbibehour]

Hi all, been awhile since I posted here, and probably been doing more beer than bourbon drinking of late, but I got a question. I was digging around the site and didn't find an answer so maybe this post/thread can provide an answer or concise list. Is there a list on this forum of the number of defunct distilleries in the US that used to make bourbon or other whiskeys on here? Does this include also the DSPs along with it for the period? I didn't seem to find one, but if there isn't what are some of them, besides Stitzel-Weller (feel free to correct me), perhaps there isn't many?. Thanks! PS for some reason I can't seem to make paragraphs while posting. Cheers all. EDIT: aw geez and then 10 seconds after this I find a list of defunct DSPs from TN Bourbon at this list here: http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?5951-DSP-Code-Numbers anything else I am missing?

Edited August 6, 2014 by imbibehour

[cowdery]

The books by Trey Zoeller and Sam Cecil build on the earlier work of Whit Coyte to do a pretty thorough job of this for Kentucky, but even they surely missed many small, farm-based distilleries, especially from the early years. Distilleries had to be registered for the Federal Excise Tax, but remember that it was abolished by Jefferson so for much of the early 19th century, distilleries didn't have to be registered. Same issues, without the work done by Coyte, Cecil and Zoeller for Kentucky, in every other state. Add to that the fact that most distilleries didn't make bourbon and bourbon only became a recognizable style some time after the middle of the 19th century. Only post-prohibition have brands and distilleries been closely aligned. Previously, most brands were the products of wholesalers who bought from multiple distilleries. Pennsylvania is a case where we have information about the major distilleries but again, especially in the early days, there were hundreds if not thousands of distilleries that will probably remain unknown. I'm not even talking about farmers who distilled primarily for their own use. I'm talking about small commercial producers.

Depending on the level of thoroughness you require, no such list exists and there is very little chance one could be compiled. There are things like Midas Compendium of Information for the Liquor Interests, and various trade publications. Pre-pro.com does a good job with pre-prohibition producers.

There is a lot of information out there, depending on what you're really looking for. You also ask for a 'concise' list, which could only mean a very incomplete one. There have since the beginning of distillation in this country been many thousands of distilleries and all but a handful are defunct.

On this Google Map I did, the green and yellow pins are defunct distilleries, but it just covers Kentucky.

Edited August 7, 2014 by cowdery