The art of distilling and making liquor spirits was imported to the Colonies from the British Isles even as the American colonies themselves were growing. Here the spirit of independence and rebellion marked the American whiskies as a departure from their British cousins in both technique and taste. In the late 18th Century, American farmers who distilled whiskey and spirits rose up against the federal government in the new nation's first large-scale protest, the Whiskey Rebellion. They opposed the levying of a tax on spirits merely to raise revenues (although it was also intended to curb excessive drinking). In 1794, President George Washington marched into western Pennsylvania leading an army of 13,000 to quell the rebellion, a move that many Americans saw as an unnecessary show of force. In the end, two people were arrested and later pardoned by the President. The legendary Davy Crockett, as a congressman from Kentucky, noted in a speech that "as Congress allows lemonade to members and it is charged under the head of stationery. I move that whiskey be allowed under the item of fuel."
Buy whisky, single malt Scotch, brandy, cognac, wine, tequila, vodka, beer, cocktails, and all beverage alcohols from the convenience of your home. Choose from thousands of name brands and spirits.
