Date of Award

Spring 2004

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

English

Program/Concentration

Creative Writing

Committee Director

Michael Pearson

Committee Member

Janet Peery

Committee Member

Sheri Reynolds

Call Number for Print

Special Collections; LD4331.E64 A452 2004

Abstract

The narrative of American whiskey criss-crosses America's own story line and has survived open rebellion, scandalous rings, monopolizing trusts, false labeling, hellfire and brimstone, Prohibition, moonshine, and industry consolidation to emerge again from the ashes of politics and the abandonment of a fickle public. The story of this native product stands as a metaphor for the Americans who make it and perhaps for the American spirit in general—simple and complex, smooth and spicy, rustic and sophisticated, obliging and independent, but above all, enduring.

America's whiskey industry developed and was refined hand-in-hand with America's own development and refinement. In 1830, the introduction of the steam-driven continuous still moved the distillation process away from personal production and toward commercial scale. In 1909, national standards for truth in labeling were set after years of debate over what could legally be labeled whiskey, only to see all whiskey labels disappear into Prohibition. When repeal came in 1933, whiskey makers began picking up the pieces of what was left and fitting them together into a new kind of industry, one smaller but more robust. The '80s saw public preference turn away from the dark, rich hues of whiskey to lighter fare such as beer and wine, or clear liquors like vodka and gin. And now the public is again embracing a new category of premium and boutique whiskeys and, again, whiskey emerges as the central character of its own story.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/ejzt-va33

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