An encyclopedia guide to the thousand-year history and dynamic future of the distillation of whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, brandy, and more.

Intrepid Kathleen Purvis traveled extensively throughout the South to create this first-ever guide to the region's burgeoning craft-liquor movement, capturing her journey in the creation of six original Liquor Trails. As fascinating as the craft itself are the distillers' experiences and backstories. Purvis chronicles them with verve and insight, bringing her knowledge of southern foodways and traditions to bear on the flourishing of the distiller's art. She shows how new entrepreneurs, part of the all-American food and drink renaissance, are positioning themselves to find both the inspiration and land ranging from West Virginia to Louisiana for their farm- or farm-ingredients-based distilleries. They are creating new and sought-after bourbons, whiskies, rums, gins, and much more. Their cordials are flavored with pumpkins, raspberries, peaches, and other local products; not long ago, a West Virginian's black walnut liqueur won the prize for the best nut cordial at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Driven by legacy and passion, today's distillers are creating a new southern tradition--one that you can now explore with an inimitable writer. Each Liquor Trail covers one or several states and features particularly worthy distilleries that Purvis has personally selected. The trails also feature maps, a complete listing of distilleries in each territory, on-site photographs, and some dynamite drink recipes direct from the distillers.

An updated edition of Big Whiskey, the definitive guide to the American Whiskey Trail. This updated edition of the definitive guide to the American Whiskey Trail is comprehensive collection of the whiskey, bourbon, and rye made by the best distillers in Kentucky and Tennessee. Full color images throughout showcase each and every bottle and label, behind-the-scenes images, and the beauty of the Whiskey Trail. Interviews with renowned distillers provide incredible insight into how whiskey is made. Locals and tourists alike will discover new distillers and expressions that are sure to satisfy any and all tastes. Big Whiskey is the perfect gift for the whiskey lover in your life.

In this original examination of alcohol production in early America, Sarah Hand Meacham uncovers the crucial role women played in cidering and distilling in the colonial Chesapeake. Her fascinating story is one defined by gender, class, technology, and changing patterns of production. Alcohol was essential to colonial life; the region’s water was foul, milk was generally unavailable, and tea and coffee were far too expensive for all but the very wealthy. Colonists used alcohol to drink, in cooking, as a cleaning agent, in beauty products, and as medicine. Meacham finds that the distillation and brewing of alcohol for these purposes traditionally fell to women. Advice and recipes in such guidebooks as The Accomplisht Ladys Delight demonstrate that women were the main producers of alcohol until the middle of the 18th century. Men, mostly small planters, then supplanted women, using new and cheaper technologies to make the region’s cider, ale, and whiskey. Meacham compares alcohol production in the Chesapeake with that in New England, the middle colonies, and Europe, finding the Chesapeake to be far more isolated than even the other American colonies. She explains how home brewers used new technologies, such as small alembic stills and inexpensive cider pressing machines, in their alcoholic enterprises. She links the importation of coffee and tea in America to the temperance movement, showing how the wealthy became concerned with alcohol consumption only after they found something less inebriating to drink. Taking a few pages from contemporary guidebooks, Every Home a Distillery includes samples of historic recipes and instructions on how to make alcoholic beverages. American historians will find this study both enlightening and surprising.

The complete guide for beginner and intermediate distillers. Make your own brew at home! ”If you’re going to invest the $100 or so to get a basic equipment and recipe kit, then you’ll want to take care in ensuring that your first batch is brewed correctly.” –Rick Morris, HowBrewBeer The Joy of Home Distilling is covers nearly every facet of distilling: Step-by-step instructions for the different processes, from bucket to bottle The difference between spirit types and how to produce each What yeast is, what it does, and how to ensure that you get a strong, complete fermentation What distillation is and common misconceptions about the process Legalities surrounding distilling alcohol at home Carbon filtering—when it’s necessary, when to filter, and why you filter Flavoring and aging your spirits Keeping safety first when working with flammable materials, such as ethanol Yeast styles and nutritional requirements Different methods of distillation and equipment Post-distillation process And of course, fun drink recipes! (Try the Mudslide or the Cherry Bomb!) Author Rick Morris, who has been selling distillation equipment for over 25 years, even includes his own recipes for different types of spirits and drink recipes. By learning not just how to distill, but also what is happening at each step and why it is needed, readers will be armed with the information they need to experiment with their own spirits and concoct their own recipes. Easy to understand even for a first-time distiller, The Joy of Home Distilling is sure to become your number one distilling resource.

Moonshine! A word that evokes images of America's outlaw heritage. Making moonshine has been such a huge part of our culture that many historians credit it as one of the cornerstones of our nations foundations. How to make moonshine? Is quite likely the very question that brought you here. A yearning to learn the traditions that are in danger of being forgotten in the modern, digital era. I wrote this book to pass along the knowledge that was taught to me in the hills of Kentucky over 30 years ago. Along the way though I developed my own style. I boiled down what I learned and created a simplified style that any beginner can follow. I've developed designs that can be used right in the comfort of you own kitchen or out back in the woods! The truth is that Moonshining, aka "Home Distilling" is a folk art that helped build this country. Together we can make it live again, and have a little fun in the process! And a quick thank you to all my readers who have helped make The Home Distiller the best selling book ever on the art and science of making moonshine. Shine On!

Whisky: Technology, Production and Marketing explains in technical terms the science and technology of producing whisky, combined with information from industry experts on successfully marketing the product. World experts in Scotch whisky provide detailed insight into whisky production, from the processing of raw materials to the fermentation, distillation, maturation, blending, production of co-products, and quality testing, as well as important information on the methodology used for packaging and marketing whisky in the twenty-first century. No other book covers the entire whisky process from raw material to delivery to market in such a comprehensive manner and with such a high level of technical detail. - Only available work to cover the entire whisky process from raw material to delivery to the market in such a comprehensive manner - Includes a chapter on marketing and selling whisky - Foreword written by Alan Rutherford, former Chairman and Managing Director of United Malt and Grain Distillers Ltd.

John C. Tramazzo highlights the relationship between bourbon and military service to show the rich and dramatic connection in American history.