The Social History of Bourbon: An Unhurried Account of Our Star-Spangled American Drink

Bourbon, pronounced "ber-bun" in Kentucky where they ought to know, is the distinctive spirit of the Western world, the fine champagne cognac of the United States. Its place in American culture has long waited for objective treatment. The saga is a lively one, intimately associated with valor and splendor and the graces of life; with villainy, too, and folly and man's inhumanity to man. And it has dramatic events such as the Whisky Rebellion, the scandals of the Whiskey Ring, the notorious "whiskey forts" of the fur trade, the fate of the American Indian and the toil of civilizing a continent.<br /><br />Combining happily patient research with an urbane and witty style, Gerald Carson presents in sweeping narrative and apt anecdote the first comprehensive account ever written of drinks and drinking in America from the early settlements to the present day. Not a recipe book or barman's guide, but a fascinating contribution to Americana, this lusty book reflects an aspect of the American experience that has long been suppressed or disregarded. A few chapter headings suggest the panorama of the contents:<br /><br />BOURBON'S COUNTRY COUSIN<br />THE FIRST TRUE BOURBON<br />WHISKEY IN THE CIVIL WAR<br />MOONSHINE AND HONEYSUCKLE<br />ZENITH OF MAN'S PLEASURE<br />DRINKING DOWN THE NATIONAL DEBT<br />DRINKS AND DRINKING<br />IN EARLY AMERICA<br />WHISKEY FUN AND FOLKLORE