The Lost History of Tennessee Whiskey

Immerse Yourself in 250 Years of Distilleries, Taverns, Teetotallers, and 'Shiners!Think Jack and George are the complete story of Tennessee whiskey? Think again. For far too long, the real history and legacy of Tennessee whiskey has been hidden from whiskey fans. It's a history that not only predates Kentucky Bourbon but also the Whiskey Rebellion. From its early days, it is filled with amazing stories, legends, and villains.The Lost History of Tennessee Whiskey will take you back to the very origins of the spirit and the state.In Part One: History, you'll meet pioneer distillers like David Crockett, Andrew Jackson, and Frederick Stump. It's a unique opportunity to put yourself in their shoes, learn of their struggles, understand the tools and grains they worked with, and get to know the world that surrounded them. This is no pollyannish stroll through the glories of whiskey. Life on the frontier was a struggle and you'll feel it along with the heroes and villains of early Tennessee. You'll also meet two tavern owners who experience history and one that made history.In Part Two: Lost Distillers, watch as a whiskey industry develops in Tennessee. It's a story that has never been completely told. Tennessee was an early leader in the production of whiskey and its distillers were fiercely loyal to tradition. You'll meet pre-Civil War distillers like Wiley Woodard, William Tolley, and Alfred Eaton. You'll learn the origins of brands and why they were important. You'll get to know the origins of the temperance movement and the difference between a wildcatter and a blind tiger. You'll watch the government try to destroy Tennessee whiskey, feel the sting of bullets during the Putnum County War, and learn the difference between 19th and 20th century moonshiners. You will also be introduced to great names in Tennessee whiskey that faded away, like Draughon, Gouge, Kelly, Betterton, Fanning, and Woodard, while digging deeper into the histories of Jack Daniel, George Dickel, and Charles Nelson. You'll also learn the origin of the whiskey bottle, whether the Lincoln County Process is really what set Tennessee whiskey apart in the 19th century, and you'll see how Tennessee's great whiskey industry died away in a hail of gunfire.In Part Three: Revival, find out why Jack Daniel wasn't the most important person in the company's history. Learn of the immense struggles distillers went through to bring the industry back. Experience Tennessee's own version of Pappygate, take a ride down Thunder Road, croon with some of the greatest singers and songs in Tennessee, and watch the trailblazers fight tooth and nail to put Tennessee whiskey back on the map.Be prepared to have your knowledge American whiskey challenged in this first ever, immersive history into the legends, lore, and real world of Tennessee whiskey."Drew Hannush finally gives whiskey geeks what they didn't know they've been missing by giving Tennessee whiskey the long overdue credit it deserves! His fascinating storytelling and intensive research into Tennessee's unique distilling history takes the state out of Kentucky's shadow and allows whiskeyphiles to see American whiskey history through fresh eyes."LAURA FIELDS // Founder of the Delaware Valley Fields Foundation and the SeedSpark Project"The Lost History of Tennessee Whiskey is a great example of a new style of spirits book that places the distilling tradition squarely within its place and time. Every state has stories and Tennessee's are particularly rich. Hannush has done mountains of research but presents this history with a storyteller's flair for the right detail."ANDREW BRAUNBERG // Author of Fires, Floods, Explosions & Bloodshed: A History of Texas Whiskey