Early American Distilling ("Pre-Industrial")

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

Well, I guess we are a couple of cynics then. Then again if I was the one making it I would sure make sure some of the flavor of maple came through in the distillate. I sure would like to see some tasting notes.

Ed

[kbuzbee]

Well, I guess we are a couple of cynics then. Then again if I was the one making it I would sure make sure some of the flavor of maple came through in the distillate. I sure would like to see some tasting notes.

Ed

Me too, Ed.

Ken

[tdelling]

> Then again if I was the one making it I would sure make sure some of

> the flavor of maple came through in the distillate.

If you look at it from a business perspective, vodka is very popular

right now, and can bring high prices. Additionally, there's the whole

taste ambiguity of vodka that makes it an easy target. So my guess is

that the marketing and product development efforts really have to go

into getting some cash flow going.

I'm guessing that the tastier and more interesting (but much riskier

from a sales perspective) spirits will have to wait. Maple distillate

is pretty much a completely new drink category! Sort of halfway

between a whiskey and an eau de vie.

Tim Dellinger

[monte]

OK,

This Saturday, I went to a store explicitly on the list of stores that supposedly carry this odd Vermont vodka in Maine, and there was no such stock on the shelves. It might have been terrible, or probably just boring, but I couldn't determine either. I'm also seriously intrigued by the lactose based vodka too...!??

Sorry folks, but I tried.... maybe it'll come up sometime down the line...

Cheers,

-monte-

[kbuzbee]

OK,

This Saturday, I went to a store explicitly on the list of stores that supposedly carry this odd Vermont vodka in Maine, and there was no such stock on the shelves. It might have been terrible, or probably just boring, but I couldn't determine either. I'm also seriously intrigued by the lactose based vodka too...!??

Sorry folks, but I tried.... maybe it'll come up sometime down the line...

Thanks for the efforts,

Ken

[Ken Weber]

According to some research we did at Buffalo Trace for presentation on our tours, we discovered that after Thomas Jefferson (then governor of VA, which included KY) offered 400 acres of free land to anyone who would travel to the "new frontier" of Kentucky and clear the ground so that an acre of corn could be grown, a glut of corn hit the frontier market. Since I could not sell my corn to you, because you were trying to sell yours to me, the first alternative was to head back east, over the mountains to sell our grain. The ol' family mule could carry about 4 - 5 bushels max. Aside from the trip being long and somewhat dangerous, just how much money can you make from such a small amount of grain? Ah, but if you could distill the corn, then the mule could carry the equivalent of 20 - 25 bushels of corn, albiet in a liquid state back to the thirsty inhabitants of the motherland.

Ken