Whiskey Lullaby Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 I am fascinated by history in general...and would love to learn more about the history of bourbon. Can anyone recommend a comprehensive book or e-book that would cover this well? I’d like to learn about how the early industry started and how it has evolved into what it is today. Thanks in advance for the help! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller542 Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 (edited) I'm not sure there is a comprehensive book on the industry, but these two from Sam Cecil are probably your best bet: Whiskey Industry in Kentucky Bourbon Evolution see also: Chuck Cowdery's: Bourbon, Straight and I liked American Still Life and Blood and Whiskey Edited March 22, 2018 by miller542 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako254 Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Fred Minnicks books are handy too. I keep Bourbon Curious handy. I’d also like to plug the Bourbon Country Reader. 6 issues a year via mail. Well worth the $20. http://bourbonstraight.com/mbky/page9.html 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry in WashDC Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Reid Mitenbuler's "Bourbon Empire" Fred Minnick's "Bourbon Curious" and "Bourbon: the Rise and Fall and Rebirth . . ." Mike Veach's "Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey, an American Heritage" Clay Risen's "American Whiskey" Lew Bryson's "Tasting Whiskey" CHUCK COWDERY's "Bourbon Straight" and "Bourbon Strange" and his BCR newsletter (I have read both books several times, have annotated my hardcopy B.Strange, and give hard copies to friends expressing an interest in bourbon; his blog contains additional reading materials) Apologies to those authors on SB whose books I did not list. Please see the next paragraphs. Also, repeated and creative use of "search" for "books" and "chemistry" etc. and perusing the "History" threads should turn up discussions and references to books on the distilling process as well as the distilled spirits business. Also, the books above have good bibliographies listing books from the 1960s-1980s, many of which I have found on eBay and on Amazon's third party sellers. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcpfratn Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 As usual, Harry is a wealth of knowledge. I have most of Minnick’s and Cowdery’s books, but need to check out some of these others. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry in WashDC Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 3 hours ago, lcpfratn said: As usual, Harry is a wealth of knowledge. I have most of Minnick’s and Cowdery’s books, but need to check out some of these others. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Of course, there is that non-bourbon book by Fred Minnick - "Camera Boy" - about his Iraq War experiences. He was in Public Affairs as a picture-taker. (DUH!) Paperback and Amazon Kindle ($4). I get no cut and have never met him, but I did enjoy his stories. Oh, I forgot to mention that internet searches for those named above will turn up additional blogs as well as some historical sites to which they've contributed. For example, Mike Veach was an historian for The Filson Historical Society in Louisville (https://filsonhistorical.org/) which has lots of online info about Kentucky as well as whiskey. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnbowljoe Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Here's a few more to add to the list. Henry G. Crowgey: Kentucky Bourbon The Early Years Of Whiskey Making Ron Givens: Bourbon At It's Best Sally Van Winkle Campbell: But Always Fine Bourbon Pappy Van Winkle And The Story Of Old Fitzgerald Gary and Mardee Regan: The Book Of Bourbon And Other Fine American Whiskies Not history, but if you like cocktails, there's Joy Perrine and Susan Reigler's The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book Biba! Joe 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnbowljoe Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Ooooops. I forgot one. This is a book I don't have yet, but actually almost bought this past weekend. Colin Spoelman and David Haskell: Dead Distillers A History Of The Upstarts And Outlaws Who Made America's Spirits Biba! Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskey Lullaby Posted March 22, 2018 Author Share Posted March 22, 2018 Thanks everyone for all of the great info. I really appreciate it. Can’t wait to get started on learning more! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulO Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 I sort of inherited a book from my wife's grandfather - The Social History Of Bourbon by Carson, copyrighted early 1960 something (don't have it handy to check). Anyway, a real page turner with lots of info about the early days: colonial times, civil war, prohibition, etc ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry in WashDC Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 9 hours ago, PaulO said: I sort of inherited a book from my wife's grandfather - The Social History Of Bourbon by [Gerald] Carson, copyrighted early 1960 something (don't have it handy to check). Anyway, a real page turner with lots of info about the early days: colonial times, civil war, prohibition, etc ... First edition was 1963. U. of Kentucky Press reprinted it in August 2010 with a Forward by Mike Veach. $15 on Amazon (12 left as of today!), and the Kindle version is $10. It is a fun read - fairly accurate history although "lore" does get incorporated as "fact". Later works listed in the posts above show that to be true, but "The Social History" is still worth reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeTen Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 2 hours ago, Harry in WashDC said: First edition was 1963. U. of Kentucky Press reprinted it in August 2010 with a Forward by Mike Veach. $15 on Amazon (12 left as of today!), and the Kindle version is $10. It is a fun read - fairly accurate history although "lore" does get incorporated as "fact". Later works listed in the posts above show that to be true, but "The Social History" is still worth reading. 11 copies left. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderKeg Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 3 hours ago, Harry in WashDC said: First edition was 1963. U. of Kentucky Press reprinted it in August 2010 with a Forward by Mike Veach. $15 on Amazon (12 left as of today!),... Thanks! Now it's 10 left. Have several of the above titles and they're all really good, but I read both of Cowdery's books cover to cover in the shortest time - just couldn't put 'em down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderKeg Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 On 3/22/2018 at 2:27 PM, fishnbowljoe said: Ooooops. I forgot one. This is a book I don't have yet, but actually almost bought this past weekend. Colin Spoelman and David Haskell: Dead Distillers A History Of The Upstarts And Outlaws Who Made America's Spirits Biba! Joe Buy it! Just finished it and really enjoyed it! Not a definitive and all inclusive history - left me wanting more detail more than a few times (detail that's available elsewhere) - but quite a good read IMHO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts