Irish Whiskey History

Irish whiskey is one of the greatest styles of whiskey in the world, and also one of the most ancient. Unfortunately, the 20th Century saw the decline and fall of the Irish whiskey industry. In recent years Irish whiskey has begun to make a comeback. Today, Irish whiskey is the fourth most popular style of whiskey in the world behind scotch, bourbon and Canadian whiskies.

The Rise of Irish Whiskey
Distilling technology came to Ireland earlier than many parts of Europe, probably brought over to the island by missionary monks. The first distillates were called uisce beatha, Gaelic for "water of life", which was eventually anglicized into the word whiskey that we use today.

Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) was known to be a fan of Irish whiskey and had stocks of it delivered to her court, the start of making it a fashionable beverage in England. By the 18th Century, Czar Peter the Great of Russia (1672-1725) declared, "Of all the wines of the world, Irish spirit is the best". By 1755, Samuel Johnson had put the word whiskey in his dictionary, commenting, "the Irish sort is particularly distinguished for its pleasant and mild flavour". In the 19th Century, Irish whiskey took its place as the most popular whiskey in the world, and, in the 1880s, after phylloxera had devastated the cognac crop in France, Irish whiskey became the world's most popular spirit.

The Rapid Decline of Irish Whiskey
A number of factors at the dawn of the 20th Century almost completely destroyed the Irish whiskey industry. The advent of the Coffey still allowed competitors to produce whiskey in a more cost effective manner. The Irish were slow to adopt the Coffey still (a type of continuous still) and clung to pot stills, a less efficient but more flavorful style of still. Additionally, Ireland's War of Independence from 1919-1921 interrupted the distiller's access to overseas markets, and once freedom from England was achieved, the English closed all access to their market. England had been the largest market in the world for Irish whiskey at that time. Next, the second largest market for Irish whiskey, the United States, closed its markets from 1920-1933 due to Prohibition. Even worse for the Irish whiskey industry was that during the Prohibition era, bootleg whiskey was often passed off as Irish whiskey, destroying its reputation and turning off an entire generation of Americans to Irish whiskey. Finally, World War 2 destroyed what was left of the Irish whiskey industry. After World War 2, only seven distilleries remained from approximately 160 in 1880. Today, there are only three distilleries left in all of Ireland (Midleton, Bushmills and Cooley).

The Savior of Irish Whiskey?
Could one simple drink save an entire industry from obscurity in the United States? San Francisco's legendary Buena Vista cafe may have done just that with their famous Irish coffees. Owner Jack Koeppler was served an Irish coffee at the Shannon Airport in 1952 and came home obsessed with recreating this drink at his San Francisco restaurant. With the help of travel writer Stanton Delaplane and the mayor of San Francisco, he finally recreated this drink successfully. With the Buena Vista serving up to 2000 Irish Coffees a day to tourists from around the country and locals, some would argue that Jack Koeppler single-handedly saved the Irish whiskey market in the United States by introducing people to the soft, sweet whiskey in his Irish coffees. Travelers would try an Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista and then return home to wherever they were from and ask their local bartender or shopkeeper for Irish whiskey so that they could create the legendary Irish Coffee from the San Francisco legend.

Did the Buena Vista save Irish whiskey in America? While it cannot be proven conclusively, the Buena Vista has introduced the pleasures of good Irish whiskey to thousands upon thousands of people over the years.

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The History of Hot Chocolate

Back in the days of the Aztecs, cocoa beans were valuable not only for their culinary importance but also as currency. Cocoa beans were often given as gifts during important ceremonies and festivals. Even so, they also used the roasted beans to make a chocolate drink. Their version is much different from the hot chocolate we know today. The Aztecs actually drank it cold, flavoured with wine and chili peppers, and not at all sweet.

Chocolate was discovered and brought to Europe in the early 1500s by the explorer Cortez. After its introduction in Spain, the drink began to be served hot, sweetened and without the chili peppers. The Spanish were very protective of their wonderful new beverage, and it was over a hundred years before news of it began to spread across Europe.

When it hit London (in the 1700s), chocolate houses became popular and very trendy. It was the English who started adding milk to their chocolate and it was enjoyed as an after-dinner beverage.

It wasn't until the middle of the eighteenth century that chocolate began to evolve past its drinkable form. First, cocoa powder was invented in Holland. Cocoa powder blends much easier with milk or water, allowing for more creations to come. Then came chocolate as a candy by mixing cocoa butter with sugar. In 1876, milk chocolate was developed. From then on, chocolate has become more popular as a solid treat rather than as the drink it started from.

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Bourbon History Timeline

As one might expect, the history of bourbon is a little sketchy. Many important dates are disputed, many were forgotten (a few on purpose) and still more may have become hazy due to the nature of the subject at hand. In an attempt to create a picture of bourbon whiskey's heritage, especially that in Kentucky, I've put together a timeline of those important moments, or supposed moments. Many of these events had an impact that reached beyond those who make and drink "America's Native Spirit."

1783- Samuels Family Tradition Begins

The Samuels family claims the title of oldest bourbon family still going strong. Prior to 1840 the Samuels family did not produce bourbon commercially. It wasn't until T.W. Samuels (grandson to Robert Samuels who created the "secret" family recipe) came along and constructed a distillery at Samuels Depot, Kentucky that the family made a business of bourbon. In 1943, after a break during Prohibition, Bill Samuels Sr. burned that famous family recipe. Bill Sr. wanted to create a bourbon without the bitterness, and so he did: Maker's Mark. The company is now in the hands of his son, Bill Samuels Jr., who continues the family bourbon tradition today.

1783- First Commercial Distillery in Kentucky

When Evan Williams opened his distillery on the banks of the Ohio River in Louisville, it was the first commercial distillery in Kentucky. The bourbon that still bears the distiller's name is one of the popular bourbons today.

1785- Bourbon County, Kentucky is Established

The stories are unclear as to how the whiskey distilled in the Kentucky area came to be named "bourbon." The modern borders of Bourbon County Kentucky are not the way it was originally established; "Old Bourbon County" is comprised of 14 modern counties. Current day Bourbon County has little significance in the production of bourbon whiskey, instead most production is concentrated in the Louisville, Frankfurt and Bardstown areas.

1789- Elijah Craig

It's been said that Elijah Craig invented bourbon by aging the already popular corn whiskey, or moonshine. This is a disputed fact; many believe that bourbon was not invented, but instead evolved with many hands in the barrel, so to speak, such as those who emigrated from Pennsylvania because of the Whiskey Excise Tax. It is a fact that in 1789 Elijah Craig, Baptist minister, opened a distillery in Georgetown, Kentucky. Heaven Hill Distillery produces a bourbon named after the "inventor" of bourbon.

1794- Whiskey Rebellion

Farmers, primarily in western Pennsylvania, protest against the 1791 Whiskey Excise Tax. President Washington called up 13,000 militia to deal with the rebels, but the band disperse before any conflicts. These events encouraged Kentucky and Tennessee distillers, who were not subject to the federal law at the time. The Whiskey Rebellion was the first real test of the federal government's ability to enforce laws.

1795- The Beam Tradition Begins

The Beam family has one of the best known names in American whiskey. The man that started what would be a family legacy, that is now on it's 7th generation, was Jacob Beam who sold his first barrel of "Old Jake Beam Sour" in 1795. Since that time David Beam, David M. Beam, Col. James Beam (the Jim Beam), T. Jeremiah Beam, Booker Noe (Booker's Small Batch) and, now, Fred Noe have carried the family craft into what it has become today.

1821- Bourbon Advertising Begins

The first advertisement for bourbon was printed in the Western Citizen Newspaper in Paris, Kentucky.

1823- Sour Mash Developed

Dr. James C. Crow developed what is known as sour mash at the Pepper Distillery (now the Woodford Reserve Distillery). This method of recycling some yeast for the next fermentation revolutionized the way most bourbons and Tennessee whiskies have been produced since.

1840- It's Officially "Bourbon"

Although bourbon whiskey had been distilled in the Old Bourbon County area for decades, it was not until 1840 that it officially became known as Bourbon. Prior to this it was often labeled "Bourbon County Whiskey" or "Old Bourbon County Whiskey."

1861-1865- The Civil War

The Civil War caused a shortage of whiskey. Not only were many men drawn from their day jobs to fight in the war, but many battles were fought in the major American whiskey distilling regions. Major Benjamin Blanton, who before the war hit it big in the California Gold Rush and owned a large portion of downtown Denver, Colorado, sold everything to buy Confederate War Bonds. Those bonds were worthless after the fall of the South, leaving Blanton broke. Shortly after he opened a distillery in Kentucky (later the Stagg Distillery), producing Blanton's Bourbon Whiskey.

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History of the Coffee House

Today, the idea of a coffee house usually brings to mind a cozy place that serves gourmet coffee and espresso drinks, with couches to lounge in while you sip. So how did the coffee house get its start?

Today, I'm looking back through time to see where the coffee house started, and how much its changed (or hasn't changed?)

The first record of a public place serving coffee dates back to 1475. Kiva Han was the name of the first coffee shop, located in the Turkish city of Constantinople (now Istanbul). Coffee was such an important item during that time period, that it was legal in Turkey for a woman to divorce her husband if he could not supply her with enough coffee. Turkish coffee was served strong, black and unfiltered, usually brewed in an ibrik.

The idea of doctoring up one's coffee with cream and sweeteners, came into fashion in Europe around 1529, when the first coffee house in Europe was established. Vienna was invaded by the Turkish army, who left many bags of coffee behind when they fled the city. Franz Georg Kolschitzky claimed the coffee as the spoils of war, and opened a coffee house. Apparently, he had lived in Turkey and was the only person who recognized the value in the beans. He introduced the idea of filtering coffee, as well as the softening the brew with milk and sugar. The beverage was quite a hit, and when coffee houses also started serving sweet pastries and other confectionary treats, their popularity exploded.

Coffee establishments continued to spread, with the first one opening up in Britain in 1652. Though its popularity was growing in Europe, the idea arrived in England again from Turkey. An English merchant who dealt in Turkish goods (such as coffee) had two of his servants leave him, to go into business for themselves. "The Turk's Head" coffee house was born.

It was in an English coffee house that the word "tips" was first used for gratuities. A jar with a sign reading, "To Insure Prompt Service" sat on the counter. You put a coin in the jar to be served quickly.

The British called their coffee houses, "penny universities" because that was the price for the coffee and the social upper-class of business-men were found there. In fact, a small coffee shop run by Edward Lloyd in 1668 was such a business hub, it eventually became the still-operating Lloyd's of London insurance company.

From there, the idea spread further through Europe. Italy in 1654 and then Paris in 1672. Germany embraced the coffee house for the first time in 1673.

When America was colonized, the coffee house was quick to follow. The role of the American coffee house was the same as those in England: the hotspots for the business community. The Tontine Coffee House (1792) in New York was the original location for the New York Stock Exchange, because so much business was conducted there.

Until now, coffee houses were serving regular coffee. Then came espresso. In 1946, Gaggia invented the commerical piston espresso machine, which was far easier to use and safer than earlier models. The Gaggia coffee bar, in Italy, was the first location to use these machines and to offer espresso along with the regular coffee. The modern age of coffee houses was born.

Of course, the age-old coffee house should not be confused with the coffee shop of recent decades. Coffee shops are really restaurants that serve a typical menu of diner food, along with basic coffee. Tim Horton's is a good example of a popular coffee shop that has somewhat transcended the basic 'diner' and though they serve a wide menu of food, they are known across the country for their excellent coffee. Even so, I wouldn't class them as a coffee house because they don't serve espresso or any espresso-based drinks.

And who could forget the most popular and wide-spread coffee house of them all, Starbucks. They opened their first store in 1971, in Seattle and have taken the world by storm with more than 8,000 locations.

Whether you prefer the wide-spread chains, or the local independent coffee house, you're taking a step into a long history of coffee each time you stop for a latte.

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