Murderer George Remus and his victim, in happier times. (1907)This is a tease post for the latest issue of The Bourbon Country Reader, where we cover the Remus issue in some detail, but I won’t make you subscribe to get the payoff.George Remus wa…
But what were they drinking?My fellow baby boomers will not appreciate being reminded that 1971 was half-a-century ago. Much has changed. We wore Nikes and polyester bell bottoms when we went skateboarding with Farah Fawcett, but what did we drink? The…
A little knowledge goes a long way. Are they? Short answer, no; but here is why this question is asked and why that ‘no’ is nuanced and will bear some explaining. (Fair warning: It may not need as much explaining as it’s about to get.)Basil …
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…
