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My Memories of Kinsey Distilling


dave ziegler

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Interesting business model. I always wondered why that was done. I've heard that the County Fair was younger and more bold, while the Old Hickory and Rittenhouse were aged longer and more subdued and full-bodied. Is that true? I have an empty bottle of County Fair and would love to try some some day. I've heard it was quite good.

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Here are some more amazing things. I never knew that Si Neuman was partners in a Company called Hammell-Neuman, before he took over Publicker. He was in his 20's, back in 1923.

1. front of the book of Stock Certs

2. Stock Cert Marked 1923 on the Back

3. Two Checks signed by Si S. Neuman dated 1926

There is more to come from my weekend findings! Also Tonight I opened a bottle of Armagnac Brandy from France that is from the 1970's and was 30 years old then imported by a Publicker Importer called Burlington Importing Philadelphia. it is around 75 years Old and very powerful stuff just had one shot after filtering through a brown coffee filter to get the old cork out.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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Edited by dave ziegler
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  • 4 weeks later...

I am sitting here tonight having lost my Job at 67 years old thinking back to my days at Kinsey! Those days were filled with hope and Kinsey was a place filled with hope for good days ahead. i walked around Kinsey this past weekend and my heart was broken seeing what has happened to the plant.I am sitting here drinking a rare 1933 mix of Whiskey and Distilled apple juice given me by my friend who ran marketing! I just poured about one shot over ice as once its gone it is gone. I am waiting for the coming weeks for the Kinsey name to reappear in Philadelphia! I am ready to go down and be a part of the brand coming back very soon. They told me they will take me down to be there within the next 2 to 3 weeks. Kinsey will reappear as a blend of several straight Whiskeys. It will be bottled in Phila, it is an exciting day for me. After being forced to retire it is a joy to have something to look forward to.

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whisky For Unhurried Moments

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I hope the reintroduction of the label brings you something that was once lost in the past and brings you some joy.Cheers Dave and I hope retirement brings you more found memories than angst.

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I am sitting here tonight having lost my Job at 67 years old thinking back to my days at Kinsey! Those days were filled with hope and Kinsey was a place filled with hope for good days ahead. i walked around Kinsey this past weekend and my heart was broken seeing what has happened to the plant.I am sitting here drinking a rare 1933 mix of Whiskey and Distilled apple juice given me by my friend who ran marketing! I just poured about one shot over ice as once its gone it is gone. I am waiting for the coming weeks for the Kinsey name to reappear in Philadelphia! I am ready to go down and be a part of the brand coming back very soon. They told me they will take me down to be there within the next 2 to 3 weeks. Kinsey will reappear as a blend of several straight Whiskeys. It will be bottled in Phila, it is an exciting day for me. After being forced to retire it is a joy to have something to look forward to.

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whisky For Unhurried Moments

Dave, maybe you could work for them...even part time...Brand Ambassador!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am hoping Jono that, that will happen they told me they want to make me a spokes Person for Kinsey! They also said they will give me all the Kinsey whiskey I want. I hope as right now the job market is not great for someone 67 yrs old. But I have a person making a very high end resume for me.

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments

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  • 3 weeks later...

Waiting to hear again from the Distilling Company that is going to make Kinsey Whiskey again in Phila. Talked to them about 3 weeks ago and they were getting ready to bottle Kinsey 7 straight whiskys in a blend with the Kinsey Name. Then the next thing will Be Kinsey Rye and after a few years Kinsey Bourbon will be made from the Whiskey they are about to Distill and Barrel there! I am supposed to be taken down some time soon to taste test the Kinsey Straight Whiskey they have bought and are bottling. When this happens I can take my mind off the rotten deal I got losing my job of 15 Years. I will post here as soon as I talk to them again. They told me they will make sure I get Kinsey Whiskey all the time! It is Very Exciting for me to Know that Kinsey is returning as a brand again. I have a feeling it will go very well!

Dave Z

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Join The Swing To Kinsey

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Today is a great day For me as I can proudly state that Kinsey straight Whiskey Blend and Kinsey Rye are returning some time Next week and will be available in Pa state stores sometime during next week, Kinsey will also be sold in Florida State! I just got off the Phone with them and they now are also distilling their Products in Phila for the future! This is an awesome thing,I could never have dreamed of and it is happening! The First week of 2015 I will be going down to sip Kinsey and see the Plant. I am very proud to be part of this in a small but exciting way and everyone check Kinsey out.

Dave Z

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Join The Swing To Kinsey

Edited by dave ziegler
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After the rich history you have documented in these epic threads, the return of the Kinsey brand is a sweet reward. I hope they do it justice.

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I went to my Local State store today they will most likely have it Tuesday! The weird thing is the state system already has it in Lancaster Pa in some of their stores as the Lady at my local store looked it up for me! There will be two Kinds to start Kinsey 7 Year Old and Kinsey Rye! later Once their barrels they are making age there will also be a Kinsey Bourbon. Right now they had to search out and buy whiskey from a broker but the one they are getting it from, really make good Whiskey some of the very best and many styles! The first week of the year 2015 they are going to take me down to Phila to tour the Distillery and sip Kinsey Whiskey and they told me they will be giving me some free bottles! This is a very exciting thing for me and I am telling everyone I can I just called a Old Bar just down the street from the Old Kinsey Plant and told them and I got the manager and he was very Happy to find out about it.

Dave

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whisky For Unhurried Moments

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Dave, what is great is that you have come almost full circle with Kinsey from working there to seeing its demise to now a rebirth.

The past is gone but now something new stands in its place. I wish them much success!

Who knows Dave but maybe they will see those old buildings and see them full of aging barrels and bottling again one day.

I could see you driving that flat bed truck modified for giving tours!

Tis the dreaming season.

Edited by Jono
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Well I had to drive to Douglasville, Pa to get it but here is the New Kinsey Rye Whiskey from Millstone Spirits, a 86 Proof Rye will try it tonight. What gets me is the Last area that will get it is the Linfield Limerick area where it was made for so many years. Somehow the state Stores never think ahead I guess. Here are two pictures of the new Kinsey Bottle!

Dave Z

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Join The Swing To Kinsey

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Dave, it must give you immense satisfaction to see the old brand back in production.

I am happy that at least all of your years documenting a closed distillery history have a happy ending so to speak.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dave, check out the Old Corby's distillery tour link I posted in the Distillery Tour thread. I think you will find the presentation from 1969 very familiar to your

time at Kinsey/Publicker.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well this is sad weekend as the Oldest Living Relative to Jacob G Kinsey passed away early this week. I posted pictures in 2007 of me giving a talk about Kinsey, and Al Landis was with me he was Mr Kinsey's Great Nephew Al died this week at the age of 96. Al's Father was the Master Distiller at the old DSP-PA-12 till 1951 when it shut down, and He traveled to Scotland to teach men how the run the new stills at Inverhouse Distillery when it opened in 1964. I will be going to the viewing on Saturday. - P.S. The New Kinsey Rye is doing very well as a guy I know at the Limerick State store told me it selling really Good!

Dave Z

========================================

Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey for Unhurried Moments

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Well I had to drive to Douglasville, Pa to get it but here is the New Kinsey Rye Whiskey from Millstone Spirits, a 86 Proof Rye will try it tonight. What gets me is the Last area that will get it is the Linfield Limerick area where it was made for so many years. Somehow the state Stores never think ahead I guess. Here are two pictures of the new Kinsey Bottle!

Dave Z

============================================

Join The Swing To Kinsey

Dave,

Who's making this stuff?

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Joe They just started Distilling they bought this from the same Whiskey Broker that Smooth Amber does but late in the year. Did you get the Rye? I have not tried the 7 Year yet. They finally have it at the Limerick store and the manager told me the Rye is Flying off the shelves. People are excited to see the old name. They opened a brand new Still and bottle house in Phila at the Old Crane Buildings on Cadwallader Street. They call the Distillery Liberty Distilling. They are aging products for the future right now. They hope soon to Distill a Kinsey Bourbon also. The Crane Building used to Make Pluming stuff back in the day Toilets Ect!

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whisky For Unhurried Moments

Edited by dave ziegler
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  • 4 weeks later...

More sad news at Kinsey. Two days ago some Kids started a fire at O Building the Old government Building. I have not got there yet but will soon. I heard it was put out quick but the fire company pulled the same thing again instead of rolling the doors up they tested their tools and cut them so now it can never be sealed up again. In their own way they cause as much damage as the vandels because they hate the Place, I myself still love it.

Dave Z - I will get some pictures when i can.

Kinsey The Unhurried Whisky For Unhurried Moments

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  • 1 month later...

I had planed to post pictures from the Old Publicker Sams facts book I took before selling it to Ethan, however my pictures will not up load says they are not files so I will have to find a way. I sold it to Ethan because I knew it would be in good hands, as I am getting old and it was a piece of rare history. It had distilleries in Pa, Maryland and KY. I will be looking through some new history pictures to try to post very soon. I have time now as I have not been able to find any kind of job so far, since losing mine of 15 years and sure hope to find something soon.

Dave Z

============================================

Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments

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Well yesterday I took a trip back to the ruins of what was Kinsey Distillery!

1. 1966 Continental Distilling Bottling House.

2. H Warehouse the last one Jake Kinsey built, the Elevator top falling down.

3. What the Fire man did at warehouse O cutting roll door when there was hardly anyfire and now the building can never be sealed again.

4. The fire which took about 10 minutes to put out but because they hate the guy that owns Kinsey they destroy all they can when called there.

Look close at Picture #1 the Bottling House with the weeds still dead you can get an Idea how big it was, 2 football fields long and 3/4 of a football field wide!

I will post some more shots on the other threads later this week. It is hard for me seeing this, I looked down through from O warehouse and in my mind I could see the old 1941 Ford flathead trucks roaring down through. In my wildest dreams I could have never thought this would happen to Si Neumans Beautiful Distillery By the river!

Dave Z

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Join The Swing To Kinsey

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Edited by dave ziegler
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  • 2 weeks later...

I often think about about my days in the warehouses, they were filled with old fashion work and good days. Working is good for the soul and the pocket. Working at Kinsey in those good old days the pay was great. We had great benefits too! I made many life time friends working there and Learned my work habits that carried me through working at two jobs after Kinsey for 33 years total! Many times I look back to working in the yard gang for My Old Boss John Zuber, he taught me how to work and get things done without killing myself! One of the Best people I knew there was Walt Harrington our Union steward, Walt started the Kinsey Benefit club selling 50/50 tickets, the money was put it the bank and when someone was hurt they got extra money to help till they got back to work. Many people were taken care of by the fund. We had a lunch truck come in at break time to our lunch room in the plant with good sandwiches. At Lunch time we would send out to Shurrs store on Rt 724 less then a mile from the plant for sandwiches. Most times Hamburgers or Cheese Burgers. When I was in the Yard Gang we ate in the Tunnel below the Old Kinsey Dsp-Pa. -12, it was nice and cool there. Sometimes we would take turns on Fridays Going with The former New York Yankees Catcher Gus Niarhos he is on the MLB web sight under his name, he was a company man at Kinsey in the winter, and we went to a bar in Spring City on Rt 724. Gus managed the Virginia New Port News Minor league baseball team in the summer! Gus Lived in Phoenixville and was a great guy. Always chewing tobacco he was a great person for a boss! He always had great Baseball stories to tell and I loved and still love Baseball so I was great friends with Gus, and he kept me out of trouble many times!

Dave Z

-=-==--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent bourbon

Edited by dave ziegler
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  • 2 weeks later...

Today I went to Kinsey to see the damage from the latest Fire some young people started in warehouse J! Young people were seen running away from the plant after the fire was seen started! Now J Building is ruined and wide open. I get sadder every time I go there! As I write I am sipping some of the new Kinsey 7 Year straight whisky! Every time I go there now it breaks my heart! I am glad that Jacob G Kinsey Can't see what has happened to Kinsey also glad that Mr Neuman can't see it! And yes the New 7 Year Kinsey Whisky is awesome!

Kinsey The Unhurried Whisky For Unhurried Moments

Join The Swing To Kinsey

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Dave Z

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