When Whiskey Was the Backbone of the US Economy
Whiskey—a liquor whose origins in medieval Scotland or Ireland remain murky—once was an uncommon, exotic liquor in the 13 colonies, where rum, gin and brandy were the strong drinks of choice. But during and immediately after the Revolutionary War, that all changed. Whiskey became a popular—and profitable—drink, and more than that, a crucial commodity in the economy of the new United States of America.
Whiskey’s rise as an American liquor was due in large part to the fact that it didn’t have to be imported. Unlike rum, which was made from sugarcane and molasses shipped from British-controlled islands in the Caribbean to distilleries in New England, whiskey could be distilled in this country from domestically sourced raw ingredients. Corn, in particular, was plentiful in America.
“The British cut off molasses and rum from the West Indies during the Revolution,” explains William Rorabaugh, author of the 1979 book The Alcoholic Republic: An American Tradition, which explores the nation’s drinking habits prior to Prohibition. “Domestic whiskey originally was a wartime substitute.” (History.com)