"When Whiskey Was the Backbone of the US Economy" Topic

"Whiskey—a liquor whose origins in medieval Scotland or Ireland remain murky—once was an uncommon, exotic liquor in the 13 colonies, where rum, gin and brandy were the strong drinks of choice. But during and immediately after the Revolutionary War, that all changed. Whiskey became a popular—and profitable—drink, and more than that, a crucial commodity in the economy of the new United States of America.

Whiskey's rise as an American liquor was due in large part to the fact that it didn't have to be imported. Unlike rum, which was made from sugarcane and molasses shipped from British-controlled islands in the Caribbean to distilleries in New England, whiskey could be distilled in this country from domestically sourced raw ingredients. Corn, in particular, was plentiful in America…"
Main page
link

Amicalement
Armand

Not a good start. Like those other Scottish institutions bagpipes and kilts, whiskey/whisky originated in the Near East/Fertile Crescent.

Rum was still the booze of choice in NE.

Uh, it has more to do with transportation. Rivers do not run over mountains or hills. Subsistence farmers -- who comprised about half of colonial population -- had to get crops to market without boats. Or roads. You could feed the corn to pigs and then drive the pigs over the hills to market. And/or, you could distill a few acres of corn into a little brown jug and carry that on horseback over the mountain. In a barter economy whiskey often served as money. Plus many drank it with meals like we drink coffee or tea. This is why Hamilton's whiskey tax was so unpopular.

Thanks!

Amicalement
Armand