Decades Distilled // A History of Whisky

Send us a textThis week we journey North to our neighbor, Canada, and learn about the history of their version of rye whiskey. Kurt and Sarah take you on the journey of how the smoothness of Canadian whiskey, including Crown Royal, took hold in the United States.

Send us a textThe 1970s were a decade of high highs and sobering lows for Scotch whisky. In this episode Kurt and Sarah unpack the boom of scotch in Italy, specifically the rise of Glen Grant thanks to the importer Armando Giovinetti. They also return to the story of DCL, Distillers Company Limited, as they begin to lose their large footprint across Europe.

Send us a textBefore Japanese whisky became a global sensation, a quiet revolution was brewing in the distilleries of Nikka and Yamazaki. In this episode, Kurt and Sarah take a deep dive into the transformative decade of the 1970s — a pivotal era when Japanese whisky began to come into its own.Join us as we uncover how economic shifts, cultural pride, and quiet ambition helped shape a legacy that would eventually take the whisky world by storm. 

Send us a textWe journey to the windswept shores of Islay to uncover the story of a woman who defied expectations and helped shape the world of Scotch whisky — Bessie Williamson. As the first female distillery manager in the 20th century and a pioneer in the male-dominated whisky industry, Bessie's tenure at Laphroaig is the stuff of legend. Pour yourself a glass, sit back, and let's raise a toast to the woman who put the “spirit” in spirited leadership.

Send us a textWe all know, and have likely tasted, a single malt. But it was the 1970's where the idea of single malt was first marketed and brought to the wider world by a now iconic distiller, Glenfiddich. So tune in as Kurt and Sarah share this decision would fully reshape the story of whisky.

Send us a textWe're detouring a few decades earlier to 1941, when the SS Politician shipwrecked off the coast of a Hebridean island with over 24,000 cases of Scotch whisky. It was the local islanders who recovered most of the barrels—to the dismay of the government. This tale was brought to the world through Compton Mackenzie's novel Whisky Galore. The early 20th century was indeed an era of whisky galore, but that would begin to change as Kurt and Sarah set the tone for whisky in the 1970s.---Thank you for listening to the latest season of Decades Distilled!Sarah and I would like your help in picking what Decades we will cover in our upcoming seasons and would love for you to vote in the poll below. The Decade with the most votes will be Season 4 and the runner up will be Season 5. Make your voices heard!Vote for Season Four of Decades Distilled

Send us a textWe return with a new season of Decades Distilled, and this time we're traveling to the disco era of the 1970's. Join Kurt and Sarah as they set the stage for whiskey in the transformative and turbulent decade.---Thank you for listening to the latest season of Decades Distilled!Sarah and I would like your help in picking what Decades we will cover in our upcoming seasons and would love for you to vote in the poll below. The Decade with the most votes will be Season 4 and the runner up will be Season 5. Make your voices heard!Vote for Season Four of Decades Distilled

Send us a textWe wrap up season two with the history of the most iconic Scottish distilleries of the 1880's, from Glenfiddich, Bunnahabhain, Bruichladdich, Scapa and more! So join Kurt and Sarah for one more episode as they explore the era where whisky expanded around the globe! 

Send us a textWhisky lovers around the world know the names of John Dewar and Johnnie Walker. Founded in the 19th century, it would be during the 1880's, when the sons, Tommy Dewar and Alexander Walker, would expand its reach. So, tune in as Kurt and Sarah share how these sons used the elements of the era to spread the word of scotch whisky.

Send us a textScotch whisky didn't stumble onto the world stage, it was the story of pioneers who knew how to blend innovation with tradition that took advantage of the market. Pioneers like James Buchanan, who leaned on the advancement of large scale glass bottle production to allow for whisky be shipped to all corners of the British empire. So, tune in as Kurt and Sarah start you on the journey of how scotch whisky began it's path to worldwide love.

Send us a textDid you know that in the 1880's a little riverside town in Illinois was supposedly the whiskey capital of the world? And people claim that in the 1880's, Peroria made more whiskey then ever city then and now. They had the standard elements--good water, plenty corn and barely, and the railroads--along with the rise of the Whiskey Trust. So, tune in as Kurt and Sarah explore the rise and fall of Peroria, the original original hub of whiskey in the United States. 

Send us a textFor this week's episode, we are exploring the origin story of the DCL, or the Distillers Company Limited. Formed in 1877 of six Scottish distilleries, it would grow to become a controlling giant during the 19th century, leading into the 20th. Tune in as Sarah and Kurt go back to the origins of the DCL and how it impacted the Scottish whisky industry in the 1880's.

Send us a textOn this week's episode, we are continuing the story of Alfred Barnard, a whisky historian, who journeyed throughout the 1880's British distilleries. As Sarah and Kurt discussed last week, Alfred is considered one the most important men in whisky history, who toured iconic distilleries during the late 19th century. Tune in as Sarah and Kurt take you back in time to the the expanding Scottish whisky industry!

Send us a textThis week we are diving into the story of Alfred Barnard, a whisky historian, who journeyed throughout the 1880's British distilleries. And Alfred may be one the most important men in whisky history--as his notes from his visits to many now iconic, or even lost to time, distilleries helps tell their stories more then a hundred years later. Tune in as Sarah and Kurt walk you through Alfred's importance and his visit to Ireland! 

Send us a textFor this week's episode we are returning to Scotland as we embark on the growth of the whiskey region, Speyside, in the 1880's. It would be this decade that would put Speyside on the map and become the dominant region for whiskey in the country. Located in Northeastern Scotland, the region is located around the River Spey. So tune in as Kurt and Sarah take you back in time for another episode of Decades Distilled! 

Send us a textThis week we're continuing the conversation around the history of whiskey in the 1880's. And yes, today's episode will lean more on wine, but it was phylloxera, a little insect that would set the stage for the story we'll tell this season. As you'll learn, it was this plaque that would vastly change the wine industry, and thus help grow the whiskey industry into what it is today. 

Send us a textThe 1880's was a dynamic decade marked by rapid industrialization, innovation and significant political change around the world. And this was true within the liquor industries, including for whiskey. So for this season, we embark on the story of how the spread of global trade and early whiskey blogging helped build the industry we know today. Tune in for this week's episode as we lay out the groundwork of the 1880's and why it matters.

In the law-breaking spirit of the decade that spawned bootleggers, speakeasies, and organized crime, we realized that we had to bend the rules and cover events that stretch beyond the 1920s. In this, the "final" episode of the season, we discuss the factors that brought about the end of Prohibition. We will be back soon so be sure to like, rate, and subscribe, and keep an eye out for some extra episodes to hold you over until we go back to the 1880s for Season Two of Decades Distilled!

This week is all about American Whiskey, aka Bourbon, during the 1920's! Prohibition was a rocky time for the bourbon industry, but it also sparked some cool tales of ingenuity and defiance which we are excited to talk about today. Plus we welcome our first guest, friend, author and Editor in Chief of the Whiskey Reviewer, Richard Thomas. He'll join us later on to speak to the winners--and losers--of prohibition.

In this week's episode - we take another look at Prohibition. This time Sarah and I talk about the positives of Prohibition. After unleashing economic devastation and levels of crime never seen before, something good had to come of this social experiment, right? Listen to this episode and find out. 

In the second part of our episodes on the birth of Japanese whisky, Masataka Taketsuru and Shinjiro Torii join forces and build a distillery you may be familiar with. Hint - It just celebrated its 100th anniversary. Join us on Decades Distilled and learn why these two men have a legitimate claim to be the "Father of Japanese Whisky."

So far our episodes have focused on what was happening with whiskies in the West. That changes today. Our next two episodes will focus on Japan and how it became a major whisky producer in its own right. Join us as we journey with a young Japanese engineer and how his travels changed the world of whisky. 

We continue our story of whisky in the 1920's from across the pond. And for Scotch, there were advantages to be gained by the struggles of Irish and American whiskies. This week, Sarah and Kurt dive into the story of how Scotch distillers managed to benefit from the turmoil of the 1920s.

Prohibition's effects were felt far from America's shores. Irish whiskey took a hard hit from a combination of domestic troubles and America's new status as a teetotaler. Tune in this week as Sarah and Kurt discuss why the 1920s were so rough on the Emerald Isle and her whiskey business. 

We continue our conversation about whisky in the 1920's, as prohibition makes many a change in American life, some good, many bad. Let's just say the phrase "Be careful what you wish for." might have been tailor-made for this moment. Speakeasies, cocktails, and criminal enterprise all make an appearance in this episode. 

For season one, we explore the story of whisky in the 1920's. And no conversation about the history of whiskey in 1920s America can skip Prohibition so let's dive right in. In this, our first episode of the first season of Decades Distilled, Kurt and Sarah discuss the events that led the United States to try and go "cold turkey" and step away from its complicated relationship with alcohol. 

Bourbon. Scotch. Rye, Japanese, Irish. Different names but at the end of the day they are all Whisky. We've all enjoyed our favorite drams but have you ever wondered how it became a bar staple? The history of whisk(e)y runs deep and on Decades Distilled, join authors and educators Sarah Jeltema, aka the WhiskeyNomad, and Kurt Maitland as they explore the years and cultural moments that helped shape its path. This journey will take us around the world and back again as we roam from Scotland to the United States, Japan and beyond. Tune in each Wednesday as we dive into the sociocultural landscapes, people, and major historical events that distilled whiskey to what it is today.