Possibly the region's first craft brewer, Thomas Jefferson grew hops and created his own small-batch brews at his home at Monticello. His brewing, however, was only the beginning. Charlie Papazian got his start homebrewing at the University of Virginia and went on to become a founder of the craft brewing movement. The city was not spared the fervent debate over prohibition, and the area went dry well in advance of the country in 1907. The Brew Ridge Trail set the standard for regional attr...

The story of beer and brewing in Richmond is a reflection of the well-documented and revered place the River City holds in the nation's history. English colonists imbibed together on the banks of the James River. During the Civil War, a brewery was adjacent to a hospital. Beyond historical brews such as the Krueger Brewing Company and Richbrau beer, Richmond is no stranger to the vibrant craft beer culture thriving across the nation. Area brewers, including Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Le...

Over the past 40 years craft-brewed beer has exploded in growth. In 1980, a handful of "microbrewery" pioneers launched a revolution that would challenge the dominance of the national brands, Budweiser, Coors, and Miller, and change the way Americans think about, and drink, beer. Today, there are more than 2,700 craft breweries in the United States and another 1,500 are in the works. Their influence is spreading to Europe's great brewing nations, and to countries all over the globe. In

Do beer yeast rustlers really exist? Who patented the Beer Goddess? How can you tell a Beer Geek from a Beer Nazi? Where exactly is Beervana? Does Big Beer hate Little Beer?Ken Wells, a novelist, Pulitzer Prize finalist, and longtime Wall Street Journal writer, answers these questions and more by bringing a keen eye and prodigious reportage to the people and passions that have propelled beer into America's favorite alcoholic beverage and the beer industry into a $75 billion commerci...

Open a copy of the Information Please Almanac and turn to the chapter on famous people. 4000 names and you won't know hardly any. But what about names everyone knows? Pillsbury, Kellogg, Gerber. Nowhere to be found. How many names are more famous than Howard Johnson? Milton Bradley? Oscar Mayer? But who were these folks? Let's take a look behind the names on our bottles of beer and wine...

* Nominated for a Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Award * Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or SpiritsA staggeringly comprehensive, entertaining, and approachable deep dive into the world of whiskey from an aficionado.The Whiskey Bible is a user's guide to all things whiskey (including, Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, single malts, and blends). Author Noah Rothbaum has spent 25 years resear...

Founders and award-winning distillers of Kings County Distillery Colin Spoelman and David Haskell follow up their successful Guide to Urban Moonshining with an extensive history of the figures who distilled American spirits.Dead Distillers presents 50 fascinating—and sometimes morbid—biographies from this historic trade’s bygone days, including farmers, scientists, oligarchs, criminals, and the occasional US president. Readers may be surprised to ...

On May 4, 1964, Congress designated bourbon as a distinctive product of the United States, and it remains the only spirit produced in this country to enjoy such protection. Its history stretches back almost to the founding of the nation and includes many colorful characters, both well known and obscure, from the hatchet-wielding prohibitionist Carry Nation to George Garvin Brown, who in 1872 created Old Forester, the first bourbon to be sold only by the bottle. Although obscured by myth, t...

Shortly after graduating from University of Glasgow in 1934, Elizabeth “Bessie” Williamson began working as a temporary secretary at the Laphroaig Distillery on the Scottish island Islay. Williamson quickly found herself joining the boys in the tasting room, studying the distillation process, and winning them over with her knowledge of Scottish whisky.After the owner of Laphroaig passed away, Williamson took over the prestigious company and became the American spokesperson for the e...

Learn about one of the most impactful distilleries in American history in this comprehensive taleBuffalo, Barrels, & Bourbon tells the fascinating tale of the Buffalo Trace Distillery, from the time of the earliest explorations of Kentucky to the present day. Author and award-winning spirits expert F. Paul Pacult takes readers on a journey through history that covers the American Revolutionary War, U.S Civil War, two World Wars, Prohibition, and the Great ...

Think of Kentucky and several images come to mind: sports, bluegrass, Churchill Downs, and yes, bourbon. There is a sobering reality in that bourbon has made the greatest impact among those industries that best symbolize the state. Kentucky bourbon is distinguished from others for its secret family recipes, limestone-filtered water, climate, and of course, Kentuckians' work ethics and pride. No matter if your preference is Maker's Mark or Jim Bean, or whether you use it for sipping, dippin...

A seminal investigation into the history of Florida's "City of Five Flags"—illustrated with period photos, maps, and sketches.Pensacola, Florida, was a postbellum boomtown that offered the promise of prosperity to potential newcomers and long-time residents alike. Pouring a Round of Pensacola's Past divulges the hidden past of a city steeped in mystery and local lore. From German immigrants to backwoods country folk, Pensacolians were as diverse as they we...