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When you think of the Whiskey Rebellion, what comes to mind? Farmers not wanting to pay taxes? Alexander Hamilton goading President Washington into putting down an insurrection? Washington on horseback leading an army into Western Pennsylvania. What if I told you that most of these assumptions are wrong? In part one of a series on the Whiskey Rebellion, I'll tell the story of the first victim of the rebellion, the events set up the rebellion, and how what many characterize as a fight for liberty - was actually a fight for survival.

Join me as I share some of my exclusive interview with Jack Daniel's long time Chief Historian Nelson Eddy.  The actual full interview is over 80 minutes long, but I will share a portion of it here and more in upcoming episodes. In this episode, we'll focus on Jack Daniel's as Prohibition approached, the shootout in Nashville, we'll find out if it really was a safe that killed Jack Daniel, how the company survived prohibition, and a very interesting tie between Jack and Kentucky's most famous brand Jim Beam.

Having not traveled to Virginia City before (I got close, as you will hear), I needed a local to give me the history and the feel of the place. After reaching out to the city, I was put in touch with Ron Gallagher, whose grandfather worked as a janitor at the Fourth Ward School back in the 1860s during the boom. Ron saw Virginia City turn from a ghost town with crumbling buildings to a tourist curiosity when the TV show Bonanza hit the air. And during our talk we discuss saloons, oyster shells, life in a mining town, and what is left of old Virginia City.

Originally known as Frey Ranch Estate Distillery, this is one of a few distilleries in the world that source all of their grains from their own land. Think Kilchoman in Scotland or Waterford in Ireland. Now, to a new distiller with a new farm, that might not be such an advantage, but imagine having a 160+ year history of farm/ranch ownership. Colby has a real advantage in the grain growing area of his business, but what about learning the distilling part? Find out in this interview from Whiskey Lore. Other things we'll discuss: The idea of a Nevada bourbon The changing laws in Nevada Grain to glass and the advantage of time The process of creating a mashbill How farming evolved with a distillery How having a winery helped planning for a distillery Similarities in agricultural and distilling education 5 percent of production and 90 percent of the fun Make your own custom blends First deeded property in Nevada The move of Frey Ranch to the Oasis of Nevada Pulling trees with a Model A The special challenges of farming in the High Desert Ashley's passions around the distillery The beautiful, heavy bottle How Ashley and Colby met What are the distillery tours like? Dealing with aging and the temperatures in Nevada Tasting the 90 Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey (provided by Frey Ranch) How they pick their cask strength single barrels Is this a whiskey you should let sit? The neck pour How hard is rye to work with? Naked oats, holeless oats, and other types of grains When you didn't have a distillery, what did you do with your rye? Doing on-site maltings Making your own peat Farmers + Distillers

Mark Twain moves on and an initial silver rush in Virginia City fades. Frustrated financiers look for a way to off-load their investments just before the Comstock yield's its greatest bounty. Meanwhile, two men - John Piper and William Brown find their own fortunes by serving up drinks, food, and entertainment to miners and money men alike. Join Drew Hannush of Whiskey Lore and Chris Wimmer of Legends of the Old West and hear the fate of Virginia City, Nevada.

Join me as I talk with one half of the brother team that returned their great, great, great grandfather's distillery to prominence. Andy Nelson is the Head Distiller at Nelson's Green Brier Distillery and this is the story of how they overcame money issues, youth, inexperience, a recession, and an old Tennessee Prohibition on distilling to get their family legacy restored.

From New York fashion photographer to starting a whiskey distillery in Colorado - quite the road for Michael Myers of Colorado Springs based 291 Distillery. We'll hear how he started as a one-man show, learned his craft, and as a tie into our Virginia City "Old West" episodes, we'll talk about his love for western movies. And we'll find out how a Weber Grill influences his whiskey...seriously! I'll also sample 291's Small Batch Rye and Bourbon whiskeys (thanks to Michael his team for the samples). Rye is the word of the day, with Aspen.

The Al Young interview is likely my most treasured interview. It spoke to the very reason I started Whiskey Lore, to capture stories while the storytellers were still here to tell them. Little did I know that one month after our interview, Al Young would pass away at Christmas 2019. It's been just about a year since his passing and one thing I have never done is release the entire interview, front to back. I hope you enjoy it. There is some great history here. It is fun to revisit.

Steve Beam is the President and distiller at Limestone Branch and loves history. In this episode, he helps us understand the family tree of Dants and Beams as well as telling us about his journey into distilling. The Charles Townsend Yellowstone story T.J. Pottinger, Captain Sam, and Walnut Hill Lost history and hauntings The Dants, the Burch, and the Bowlings The Limestone Branch of the Beam/Dant family Minor Case Beam at Early Times Olene Parker's Old Maid and Francis Head at Gethsemane Where Minor's name came from How the Dants lost Yellowstone and how it came back to the Beams Yellowstone distillery in Louisville Yellowstone's popularity in Kentucky Heaven Hill and LuxCo The fate of Henry McKenna, J.W. Dant, Yellowstone, Rebel Yell, Ezra Brooks, and David Nicholson Getting the Yellowstone name back in the family There's a Beam everywhere in Kentucky The J.W. Dant distillery and the whiskey in the 50s How Steve became interested in distilling The New Hampshire man's yeast bucket advice Dry Fly and American Distilling Group in the  Learning on a small scale Focusing on something unique Waiting on that first batch as a master distiller The Beams secrets at Thanksgiving I hope you enjoy the history!

This bonus episode is the first of a series of podcasts hosted by Drew Hannush of Whiskey Lore and Chris Wimmer of Black Barrel Media and the Legends of the Old West podcast. In part one, we look at the history of Virginia City and the Comstock Lode, including the namesakes for both. Chris also tells the story of a young writer named Samuel Clemens and Drew gives you a foundation's worth of knowledge about whisky in the Old West. The next episode will move onto a deeper history of the Big Bonanza and the saloons of Virginia City.

Drew sits down with Jim Shannon and Mike "Big Chief" Hiatt at Mike's home in Kentucky and discusses how the Whiskey Lore podcast came to be and we also find out Drew's top 3 recommended distillery tours in Kentucky (hint, one is not on the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail). We also taste Shackleton Blended Malt Scotch and Angel's Envy Cask Strength with a Port Wine Finish. This is the first episode in a series celebrating the 12 Days of Whiskey Lore. Cheers and Slainte mhath!

The story of Jack Daniel and Nathan "Uncle Nearest" Green could have been something much different - but in the hands of Fawn Weaver, she looked past headlines and social media to find the story behind the story. And her findings have led her to build a foundation in Nearest's name, a distillery in his honor, and it also brought her and the Jack Daniel's Distillery together to create an initiative that will help change the whiskey industry going forward.

In 2016, Best Selling Author Fawn Weaver was in Singapore with her movie executive husband, when a New York Times International article caught her attention. Was it possible that in an industry known for its Scots-Irish roots, actually had its biggest selling whisky taught to its founder by a slave? But the accompanying photo told a different story. And what Fawn uncovered, changed her life.

Take a trip with me to both sides of the Atlantic for more of my favorite stories from Scotland, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Joining me this week are Wally Dant of Log Still Distillery, Richard Paterson of Whyte & McKay, Andrew McKenzie-Smith of Lindores Abbey, Andy Nelson of Nelson's Green Brier, Fawn Weaver of Uncle Nearest, and Duncan Bryden who showed me around Strathdearn, near the Tomatin Distillery. This was a fun year of interviews, I hope you enjoy.

What a joy it has been, interviewing some marvelous whiskey people this year. But not all of the content was able to make it into episodes. So in this episode, I'll feature some of my favorite stories from people like Al Young of Four Roses, Nelson Eddy of Jack Daniel's, Andy Nelson of Nelson's Green Brier, Elizabeth Pearce of the Drink and Learn podcast, and Robert Likarish of Ironroot Republic Distillery. Next week, I'll have even more. And if you love the interviews, check out patreon.com/whiskeylore and sign up to get interview archives and complete interviews.

What does a microscopic North American aphid have to do with scotch and Texas whisk(e)y? Quite it bit it seems. And a man name T.V. Munson is the common denominator. From his home in Denison, Texas, Thomas Volney Munson was summoned to save the Cognac region of France from a vine damaging insect called Phylloxera. And his work would inspire two brothers who would build their distillery and name it in honor of their local hero - a hero that the Cognac region still reveres today.

Take a journey on the Helena Sloman, a ship en-route from Hamburg, Germany to New York City, carrying the hopes and dreams of John Phillip Nelson, a candle and soap maker who sold everything to give his family a wonderful new life in America. Join me to hear an immigrant's story and how it lead to the most successful Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey of the 19th Century. I'm joined by John Phillip's 4 times great grandson Andy Nelson, of Nelson's Green Brier Distillery and producer of Belle Meade.

It is amazing how much the real estate market of 2008 and the scotch whisky industry of the 1890s have in common. Rampant speculation, inflated prices, and so many people caught up in the action that they couldn't see the coming disaster. And at the center of the whole affair were two brothers who had taken over their father's dairy business, turning it into a whisky blending house and then getting caught up in greed, success, and incredibly bad business practices.  This is the story of the great Pattison Crash.