Edna Catherine (Schwartz) Bunsey (1904-1994)As a kid growing up in Mansfield, Ohio, I did not have to cross a river or go through a woods to get to my Grandmother’s house. Okay, I could go through the woods on my bike, and that route crossed a cr…
A collection of pioneer stills at the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History in Bardstown, Kentucky.Whiskey plays an outsize role in American history, largely because this continental nation had an active frontier for nearly 300 years and distilling was …
Curtiss P-40 WarhawkEighty years ago today my father, Ken Cowdery, was at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He was a 21-year-old private in the United States Army, lined up for breakfast. Japanese bombers bound for Wheeler Field next door flew over h…
Guarding a Nike Hercules Missile, Fort Barry, CA; c. 1970-71Nike was the Greek goddess of victory. Today it is a shoe company. Between those two uses, it was the name of an early missile defense system for the United States.In the immediate after…
1869 Gaines, Berry & Company letterheadMy “Time Is Money” post from Saturday prompted a response from Chris Middleton and I’m always delighted when that happens. Chris has contributed here before. He is principal and director of the Whisky Academy,…
E. H. Taylor, Whiskey MogulIn the early days of American distilling, and in most distilling cultures throughout history, the proposition was simple. You got some fruit or grain, fermented it, distilled it, and then either consumed it or sold it. …
Jimmy Raney, as I remember him. (Photo by Greg Turner)I lived in Louisville from 1978 until 1987 and have spent a lot of time there since, except these last two years. Even after I moved, until about 1994 I was in Kentucky almost as much as I was…
Hiram Walker Peoria in the 1940s.The Peoria JournalStar reported it like this: “After almost 40 years, Archer Daniels Midland Co. no longer will be the primary firm that produces ethanol in Peoria. Instead, a Houston-based company will take over …
This is the view Beam Suntory is giving up, of the Chicago River from the Merchandise Mart’s rooftop deck.Back in January, Beam Suntory announced it will move corporate headquarters from Chicago to New York sometime next year. At least 100 employees wi…
Navy foresters at NSA Crane assess a white oak tree set aside for future use in repairing the USS Constitution. (U.S. Navy/Bill Couch)Whiskey has only four ingredients and one of them is white oak, but there is a certain 50,000 acre stand of whit…
