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What is the Quintessential 19th Century Spirit?

Owen Bawn

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Rye was the most distilled grain in America at least until WWI and Prohibition. Rye was the "American whiskey." Today's Bourbon, on the other hand, is the descendant of what the hill folk from western Maryland to Arkansas called 'corn squeezins,' and it was considered a poor man's drink. Mixed with rye and ageing it in charred barrels has apparently classed it up considerably!

Irish was the most popular import to the USA prior to Prohibition. Two things led to its replacement by Scotch- first, during Prohibition it was much easier to get Scotch to Canada and then across the border (as Canada & the UK were still rather firmly joined); and second, the experience of returning WWII GI's who developed a taste for Scotch in Britain during the war. Prohibition also allowed Canadian whisky distillers to gain a large share of the US market, much of which they still retain.
 
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