My Memories of Kinsey Distilling

[Jono]

Dave, did you ever have the "Kinsey Gold"? (not sure if I asked you before).

http://www.ellenjaye.com/kin_discovergoldadvert.jpg

[dave ziegler]

No jono I never had a shot of Kinsey Gold I have had the silver from the Bottle Ludy Gave me and it is a very nice Blended Whiskey made with older Whiskeys in the blend but I was told by oldtimers the Gold was really a good blend. Mr Kinsey himself was a straight Rye man and I do not think he did much with Blended's.

I think not sure that Kinsey Blended's were a tribute to him from Continental Distilling although Ludy has said he did some blending for Mr Kinsey so it could be the Gold was started by Kinsey.

Kinsey Gold is the oldest version but I think they mostly blended Liqours back then. I would love to get my hands on a bottle of Kinsey Gold won one once 1943 bottle on E Bay and they suddenly cancelled the Auction and just said sorry.

The fact he made mostly Straight Rye is one of the reasons that he went out of bussiness as the new blended's were much cheaper to buy and people were switching to them and away from Rye which to me is and always will be the Best! As Al told me he was of the Idea that Rye was the best and the straighter the better.

I can almost see Mr Kinsey now in the morning getting his jiger out pouring his daily 1 oz of Rye for his health!

I hope to talk to Al Landis again soon at the Linfield reunion and try a get some more good information on Mr Kinsey!

I also I was thinking about how Continental always gave us coveralls to protect our Clothes when we were working they like the Coats they gave us were dark green and heavy duty. They kept all the dirt from the Hoops from ruining your shirts and pants. They were zippered so easy on and off they like our Coats and shoes came from the local work clothes store in Pottstown workmans supply long gone now just like Kinsey.

Those as the song says were the days and we did think they would never end and all at once you wake up and its all gone just a memory but a memory of better times and good people.

We never had to worry about wrecking our clothes and it made the job all the better that they took care of you in what ever it took to do the job.

It was in its time and even by todays standards one of the safest cleanest places you could work, as with my job now you don't think about the chemicals as it is safer at work then many other places you could be.

What Better could I ask then to have worked for Continental Distilling / Kinsey as my first real job and finish working for another Truely great Company in Cabot as my last job.

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For unhurried Moments

[fishnbowljoe]

Dave, Don't forget to post pictures of that PA Distillery 10 sign. If Fricky did anywhere near as good a job on it, as he did on your barrels, it probably looks great. Can't wait to see what it looks like. :grin: Joe

[fricky]

Joe,

Unfortunately there was little that I could do. Apparently, the sign was pulled from the building which caused the plywood to split. It split in such a way that I could not fit it back together. In addition, the paint was flaking severely. The only thing that I could do was to carefully spray it with laquer and then paint over it with varnish. I am sorry that I could not do more.

Doug

[fishnbowljoe]

No need to be sorry Doug. You did the best you could. I'm sure the effort is much appreciated. I still want to see the pics. It's all good. See you in a few weeks. Joe

[dave ziegler]

Joe here is the sign after being laqured! Also here is a scan of some paper work from the plant They were selling new barrel staves to a cooperage company in Ky it was so wide I could not quite get all the far side but as you can see they sold them 19,000 Barrel staves in 1977 made in Marcus Hook at our Barrel Plant!

1. Sign after being saved by laqure to keep the lettering from flaking off

2. Paper work from the plant selling a companyin KY 19,000 Barrel staves

Continental Distilling had many friends in companies in KY and offten sold them things.

Dave Z

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Old Hickory America's Finest Bourbon

[fishnbowljoe]

Dave, Thanks for posting the pics. You and Doug saved a piece of Kinsey for history. Nice job. It's all good. Joe

[dave ziegler]

Thanks Joe does anyone know anything about this Cooperage Company Picture of Bill on #555 page does it still exsist? They were most likely a long term customer as we had many who were. Continental Distillings Cooperage plant was state of the art and had its own school which Ludy went to learn to be a cooper at. It was from what Ludy has told me a very big Plant and it was located in marcus Hook pa.

Ludy Told me they had lots of their Competitors sending people to the school too!

In their time Continental Distilling was one of the most inventive Distillers in the world. They were always in the forefront of inovation be it using used whiskey Barrels for Scotch or Trying Large barrels they were always coming up with different things.

It was Only because of the death of Mr Si Neuman that it all ended so quickly and sadly.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

Saving the Old Distillery Sign that used to be mounted on DSP-Pa.-12 was a dream come true for me Posted page #555. When I found the Old sign in the rubble Summer 2006 the first thing I thought was to get it out of the pile and positioned so it would not be rained on or have snow laying on it because of the old Paint flaking off.

I had no Idea how I would ever get it out but thankfully I became friends with guys that watch the Plant for the owner and Nov 2008 they brought it out in their Loader to their House where they trimed the bad ends off and then Fricky took it home and Laqered it and now the letters are preserved.

Considering how long it layed there around Late 2002 when the still was knocked down it is amazing it is as good as it is! It is such a great piece of History. I remember it hanging on the Old still when we went in to ring out every night. I am very Thankful I could save it and this winter I hope to go looking again for things to save for History from Kinsey.

This Morning I took a couple of Pictures of my complete sets of Lighting Switch & Pilot Lights from the Plant in my office on my desk and cabinit I will post them tomorrow. I have a total of 11 sets with 13 pilot lights at work and 7 sets at Home.

It was hard work going in and taking them off the walls, and took years and then months getting my Friend at work to wire them but I kept at it to save them for History. One of them is a very Big switch and it is wired to look like it is powering somthing big!

Dave Z

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It Seems All the Nicest people Drink Old Hickory

America's most magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

Well Here are the Pictures of My explosion Proof Switches and Pilot lights wired like lamps by my friend at work for my office! Since last year when I had to take my Beer can collection home I have been working toward this change in my office. There are 11 sets altogether counting 3 sets at the back. 5 sets on my desk

The last picture is of my old Model cars built when I was young. I found them intack at home and brought them to work to put in front of the Barrel Stave that Fricky did for me for my yrs of Service at Kinsey.

The Barrel stave is in the back ground surounded by my models and pictures of my Favorite English Actress. Also the clock on the right is from my 1952 Chevy Hardtop a friend at work made the holder it is a windup clock and keeps great time!

Note the Big Switch box with the big lever I worked my butt to get that one off the wall in O building and carry it out 1 1/2 miles. Many a weekend morning was spent taking these off walls to save them for History.

All the People in the office really like the Explosion proof lights and the Electrician that did them says he thinks they are most likely a one of a kind thing dreamed up by me. I tell people when they are lit I am in.

In trying to save the History of the Company I have tried my hardest to save everything I can related to daily work at Kinsey and these Explosion proof switches and lights were something I never forgot going in the Old warehouses to rack or take out Barrels you were greeted by them and the Blue Vapors of Aging Whiskey! I will always remember the awesome smell of Whiskey those days as a 19 yr old Kid working there!

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments

[fishnbowljoe]

Man Dave, you sure have a lot of neat stuff. I collect stuff too, but nothing like what you have. Joe

Nice pics by the way.

[Josh]

Well Here are the Pictures of My explosion Proof Switches and Pilot lights wired like lamps by my friend at work for my office! Since last year when I had to take my Beer can collection home I have been working toward this change in my office. There are 11 sets altogether counting 3 sets at the back. 5 sets on my desk

The last picture is of my old Model cars built when I was young. I found them intack at home and brought them to work to put in front of the Barrel Stave that Fricky did for me for my yrs of Service at Kinsey.

The Barrel stave is in the back ground surounded by my models and pictures of my Favorite English Actress. Also the clock on the right is from my 1952 Chevy Hardtop a friend at work made the holder it is a windup clock and keeps great time!

Note the Big Switch box with the big lever I worked my butt to get that one off the wall in O building and carry it out 1 1/2 miles. Many a weekend morning was spent taking these off walls to save them for History.

All the People in the office really like the Explosion proof lights and the Electrician that did them says he thinks they are most likely a one of a kind thing dreamed up by me. I tell people when they are lit I am in.

In trying to save the History of the Company I have tried my hardest to save everything I can related to daily work at Kinsey and these Explosion proof switches and lights were something I never forgot going in the Old warehouses to rack or take out Barrels you were greeted by them and the Blue Vapors of Aging Whiskey! I will always remember the awesome smell of Whiskey those days as a 19 yr old Kid working there!

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments

Great pictures Dave! I love Josephine Tewson too! :cool:

[dave ziegler]

Yes Josh they are a few of many of the Pics of Josephine Tewson I have in my office she is a very lovely Person! I am very Lucky to work in a place where they let you have things like my Lights. And every morning I turn all the 11 sets of lights on and then turn on one of my 3 working Tube radio's in my office as always people call my office a musium. I have pictures of Kinsey in front of my desk and I also have around 200 WWII Airplane pictures on the walls and Vintage trucks.

This morning I learned my Old Friend from the Distillery Shorty Tyson who died many years ago's Wife died about a week ago All the Old timers that had alot to do with Kinsey and Continental are dieing off so it is even more important that I get as many pictures and memories up as I can.

Those Lights were the first thing we saw every day we went in the warehouses and they were very important in showing that we Had power when the Light came on or if it was glowing when we went in. With all the explosive fumes you would not dare test for Power and you Had to remove all power from the building to fix anything electric even just a light bulb.

One of the amazing things is when I removed the boxes switches and Pilot lights some of the oringinal 1940's bulbs still worked I have about 3 still glowing in some of my sets.

In the warehouses we had Many fire extingisers and they were checked every month by the company supplying them. Most days when we were dumping we would go to 2 or 3 different warehouses to get the barrels wanted for that days dumping. There as I have said before were always about 8 gangs going to warehouses dumping or racking barrels. Sometimes on 3 different floors we would get barrels out of the racks send them down on the Elevator to the first floor to be dumped if there was a trough there or to the dock to be taken by one of the 1941 ford flat trucks to another warehouse with a trough to be dumped by another gang.

Days went by quickly and it was a very cool place working in the Old Explosion proof warehouses.

We had someone dumping every day there,and the Lead man would have a list of that days serial numbers of barrels to dump. We all had coveralls and gloves and company Flashlights to see back in the rack for finding the right lot of barrels by their serial number.

The company had lists with every single barrel of the 14 million in the plant and which warehouse and floor and rack they were in. The timing of the barrel was most important when you were dumping and that is why our Lead Man Jack got so mad when the guy from the army kept moving the barrels side to side to keep them in perfect line but totally out of time. I never saw Jack get mad once except that day when He told him this is not the Army Line i'm up Louie He called him and you better Never have the barrels out of time like this again!

For the most part we just went in worked talked and went home happy after a days Honest work. Those days were far better then today we all had a common interest in just enjoying our work and getting it done the best we could. And even though we were union for the most part you never would have known it as we all got along and just were thankful for our Jobs.

As I have said before one of our favorite things to do at Breaks was roll dice. We had many a game of it.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

I am still hoping to hear from someone who knows anything about Bourbon Cooperage company of Lebanon KY I posted a picture of paperwork from US ( Publicker ) selling them 19,000 barrel staves #555 page. Are they still in bussiness? What disitlling industries are near Lebanon KY?

I know we did lots of Bussiness with Distillerys in Ky but it would be nice to know if this company is still operating under a different name maybe!

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent bourbon

[boone]

I am still hoping to hear from someone who knows anything about Bourbon Cooperage company of Lebanon KY I posted a picture of paperwork from US ( Publicker ) selling them 19,000 barrel staves #555 page. Are they still in bussiness? What disitlling industries are near Lebanon KY?

I know we did lots of Bussiness with Distillerys in Ky but it would be nice to know if this company is still operating under a different name maybe!

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent bourbon

There's a cooperage in Lebanon Kentucky. It's been there a long time and produces barrels for many of the distilleries. Cooperages put their mark on the rivets so folks in the business know where the barrel was made. If it has a M or a K on the rivet, it's made by ISC (Independent Stave Company) aka Kentucky Cooperage.

The guy (left) in the picture (from ISC webpage) is a judge for the barrel rolling competition held during the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

http://www.independentstavecompany.com/manufacturing

The link :

[dave ziegler]

There's a cooperage in Lebanon Kentucky. It's been there a long time and produces barrels for many of the distilleries. Cooperages put their mark on the rivets so folks in the business know where the barrel was made. If it has a M or a K on the rivet, it's made by ISC (Independent Stave Company) aka Kentucky Cooperage.

The guy (left) in the picture (from ISC webpage) is a judge for the barrel rolling competition held during the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

http://www.independentstavecompany.com/manufacturing

The link :

[dave ziegler]

Well early tonight I met Fricky as He ordered and picked up the glass top for my Continental Distilling Whiskey Barrel and it looks amazing! It is 1/4 inch thick Glass and I took some Pictures of it being used?

Here are a couple of shots of it with My bottle of Old Hickory 86 proof 10 yr that Ludy gave me about 2/3 left and 1/2 a 4/5 Pint of Kinsey Silver that Ludy gave me sitting on an original 1930's Kinsey Coaster. Also with two Old empty Rittenhouse Rye bottles and a shot of the top just showing the glass, the Lettering jumps out at you. I took these with out any flash. This Barrel means more to me then words can say and now I can safely sit a Bourbon or a Beer on a coaster on it and never hurt the Laqer sealed Lettering. The Best part is this Barrel was filled when I worked there in 1971 and I may have Racked it or rolled it!

As I post this I am toasting the Barrel and all Fricky's help and work in finishing it and getting me a glass cover where He got his with a shot of Old Hickory 80 proof which I am almost out of. It was a joy paying him for the glass it is just awesome.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments

[Jono]

Absolutely beautiful restoration Fricky! Dave, those bottle look fantastic...is the Kinsey Silver a low proof whiskey? It appears to be young by the color.

[fricky]

Thanks for the comments. I was very pleased with how they turned out. It took a lot of time not to mention a considerable amount of sandpaper. Thanks to Dave Ziegler for getting the barrels.

[dave ziegler]

Jono If I remember correctly don't have the Bottle here Kinsey Silver is a blend of 8 yr old Straight Whiskeys 35 % and 65% the rest Ngs! It is one of the best Blended Whiskeys I have ever Drank.

I had never drank the Kinsey Blended Label till Ludy was Kind enough to give me this 4/5 Pint he had since 1965!

When I was Young If I wanted Blended I drank Philadelphia Blended I still have some left from what Bourbon Joe Gave me 2 yrs ago. It is darker in color and very good but I like the Kinsey Blend better almost tastes like it is high quality straight Whiskey

Makes me wish I could get an Old Bottle of Kinsey Gold as that told me by Ludy was supposed to be Really Good way better yet then the Silver, I think more straight Whiskey in it! I don't think they made The Gold after the 1940's early 1950's were over and they closed DSP-Pa-12 in 1951!

When they Continental Distilling were in bussiness I bought only there stuff long after I left there as I considered all their Whiskey's to be some of the very Best made. And Continental Made just about any spirit you could want at all price ranges and all good quality.

Dave Z

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Join The Swing To Kinsey

[dave ziegler]

Well last night I won a very Old Continental Distilling bottle which is very rare and was one of Their first Brands to come out in early 1934. Patrician Bourbon 93 proof 3 months old was one of the very first.

Patrician Bourbon along with Sweepstakes Bourbon and Blended whiskey were just two of many brand names picked by Mr Si Neuman and His Father inlaw Harry Publicker in 1933 when Prohibition ended. They sat down and decided what names to give brands and what brands that were around to buy the rights to like Old Hickory! They started Continental that year as the Drinking Alcohol division of Publicker Industries and so a giant in the Spirits industry began.

Other early brands Keystone State Rye Whiskey, Cobbs creek, Philadelphia Blended, Rittenhouse Rye, and Old Schcuylkill Choice Rye.

Many Brands names coming from the City of Philadelphia famous places. Mr Neuman's Vision was amazing and He built Publicker Industries into a 5,000 employee fortune 500 company it was his death that brought the Company down. When He died all the vision and ideas left with him.

Other Famous Brands include Linfield Straight Bourbon, Neshaminy Rye, Penn Esquire Bourbon and Ollethorpe club these names coming from an old Company Brand list I have.

On the Bottle the Continental Crest and coat of Arms was.

Purity - Quality - Skill

I have an old Company Pack of matches where it is written on the Logo lines and I truely Believe that was Mr Neumans mission Statement all through the many years 1933 -- 1976 43 yrs that He ran Continental Distilling and Publicker Industries!

Pictures

1. Front Label

2. Back Label

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

On Monday I took a walk through Kinsey from my friends House across the street. I took a 35 MM Camera with me and I also helped them seal some of the Buildings up! As always young people are going there and just smashing things it is horrible. While I was there I picked up the last of the Old Inver House Red display setups. I am taking one to the Limerick Historic Society this afternoon!

I will Post a picture of one of them soon as I got a spare one for myself. These are highly rare and were used in the early to mid 1960's to introduce Inver House Red Scotch which at that time was bottled in Scotland and brought over in one of our 10 ocean Liners.

I have no doubt that all the ones the state stores had have been in the dump since the early 1960's these were in a case that had never been opened and I put them together! You would set all the Inver House Red Plaid Scotch bottles on them in the store.

It laways hurts to see the ruin in there and Someone had even pulled up one of the Old Metal roll doors on O building so I closed it and bolted it shut.

I wish that the young people would be interested in the History of the place not ruining it.

Looking at the weeds growing everywhere and broken windows I still in my mind can see my friends working in my memory and those exciting days so long gone.

The Old Metal roll door went down like it was brand new The guys that watch the place and I tried some of the old valves on the Water Distilling room and they still turn freely!

I just wish that someone would save the Old Warehouses but for that to Happen the guy owning it would have to sell it and I think he enjoys letting it rot as He has not even stopped there since last summer.

Kinsey is just waiting for someone with some brains to make the Warehouses into Condo's The old Front buildings are doomed but the warehouses could be called the Condo's at Kinsey Distillery and you could build some apartments and Houses and call them the Homes at Publicker way! You could name the warehouse condo's after things Like Dsp -pa 12 Condo and the Continental Condo. But no one with Money thinks of these things.

When The still was still standing You could have made the Old Buildings into a living History musium. I wish so many times that I could have been rich back then and got the place from him so He could not destroy it by Leaving it in 1986 to rot! He closed it that fall shut everything down and has left it rot all these yrs while paying $400,000 a yr in taxes on it.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

[Jono]

Unfortunately with the real estate collapse no development is likely for a long time. An artist colony would flourish with the space needed for sculpture, casting, pottery, painting etc.

[dave ziegler]

Well Tomorrow is the Yearly Linfield Reunion and there are still a few people that worked at Kinsey that come. Ludy and Jack can't because of Health But my old Friend Al Landis, Jacob G Kinsey's great nephew will be there.

Each year I try to take something to give out to remember Kinsey and this year I am taking some nice printer copies of 4 Old Kinsey Ads I made from the Original Ads I have and also some regular Paper Pictures of the Areial shot of Kinsey in 1940. I was able to print them on the copier from my work computer and they are nice! I did 40 of them and 44 pictures of Ads to give out.

The first years I went there it almost like a Kinsey reunion but time and death have taken there toll and there are only a few that worked there coming but lots of Old Timers that Had family that worked there and they are all very Much still proud that Kinsey was there back then and sad that it is gone.

My 35mm camera pictures turned out Ok when I walked there Sunday and I will post a couple after I scan them onto my computer. Helping the guys lock up the Warehouses I found an Old Matlack blue print for a tank truck Publicker was having made back in 1956. It was a Mack B-61 tractor Semi and tanker most likely the very one that ended up junked there in one of my pictures before they tore the still down there was a Pink color Mack B-61 sitting next to the bottling house.

I also got a couple Of Old Inver House Point of sale Liquor store setups from 1964 and gave one to the Historic Society in Limerick to go in the Linfield section with the other Kinsey stuff I have donanted.

The Building where I got the two barrels for Fricky and I now has its roof leaking so the rest of the barrels are going to be doomed soon as sitting in water.

The Old Philip Singer Bottle machines in O building look like they are standing guard over the piles of Bottle caps the Kids have dumped from boxes. And The weeds are climbing worse then ever this year because the Owner is to cheap to pay for the place to get mowed.

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments

[dave ziegler]

Today I went to the Linfield Reunion and met many People that Had worked at Kinsey! The One Lady Had worked over 20 years in the Bottling House and she brought her Photo album of Pictures taken in the big Bottling House back in the day. Wow she had all the News paper Pictures and write ups about the Plant through its many years and stories in the paper about it closing.

She had also worked in the Old Kinsey Bottle House and she called it the happpy House because they had many a drink when they were over there! She also told me I was Completely right they did make all the Liquors there in the Old Kinsey Bottling house and she Loved our Amarreto Lolita. She and some others told me if I ever find a bottle of Continental Black Berry Brandy I will really Love it I Have never had that one.

I asked if I could get some copies of the pictures with the Bottling Lines and she said some time I could she is also going to join Here to look at the stuff about Kinsey. She had a picture of one of the Lines filled with Philadelphia Blended going down it

She had some great Photo's in the Local News paper of the Plant with trucks and people there. She was in charge of quality in the putting on of Labels and Tax seals and she told me alot about it.

Also today Ludy Turned 91 years Old! I called Him tonight to wish him a happy birthday. Also some more good news I was able to get my Friend on the Phone who was a top person at Continental and He is ok and still plans to come out this year for a month or so in the fall from Ca. He said he wants to meet as many former people that worked there as He can in the time He is Here and He had lost my Phone Number but now has put it in his Book and will be calling me soon. He also told me he is in the Process of Writting a Book about what Happen to Continental Distilling after Mr Neuman died that brought it to its end.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon