Karl Raitz Bourbon's Backroads

Annotation

This history of bourbon explores how the shift from home distillers to commercial producers changed the culture and landscape of nineteenth-century Kentucky. As one of the commonwealths signature industries, bourbon distilling has influenced the landscape and heritage of the region for more than two centuries. Blending several topicstax revenue, railroads, the mechanics of brewing, geography, landscapes, and architecturethis primer and geographical guide presents a detailed history of Kentuckys distilling industry. Nineteenth-century distilling changed from an artisanal craft practiced by farmers and millers to a large-scale mechanized industry that practiced increasingly refined production techniques. Based on extensive archival research that includes private paper collections, newspapers, and period documents, this work places the distilling process in its environmental, geographical, and historical context.Bourbons Backroads reveals the places where bourbons heritage was madefrom old and new distilleries, storage warehouses, railroad yards, and factories where copper fermenting vessels are madeand why the industry continues to thrive.