POPULARITY
durée : 00:04:09 - Chroniques littorales - par : Jose Manuel Lamarque - Un explorateur excentrique, Peter Freuchen, sous la plume de Reid Mitenbuler, écrivain américain, son ouvrage, « L'esprit d'aventure, itinéraire d'un explorateur excentrique » édité chez Paulsen, est présenté dans les Chroniques Littorales par Christian de Marliave, éditeur chez Paulsen.
This week on Flightless Bird, David Farrier investigates America's obsession with ice. From excessive ice in drinks to the joy of frozen food, Farrier finds that ice is deeply American. Meeting with Reid Mitenbuler, the author of Bourbon Empire, David discovers the story of Frederic “the Ice King” Tudor, who dug up ice from the lakes of New England and got America, and the world, hooked on ice in the 1800s. Farrier then heads to New York to meet writer and academic Heidi Julavits, who muses about the significance of ice in American culture and tells David about her icy memories from Maine… and 2023's Coachella. Farrier discovers how the Holiday Inn made ice machines mandatory in American hotels before he considers the fact Americans want to cryogenically freeze themselves to live forever. There is no denying it: Americans love ice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Reid Mitenbuler is an author, a journalist, and an Air Force veteran. His latest book, Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, An Epic Journey, A Lost Age tells the untold story of the twentieth century's most interesting man.Peter Freuchen was a Danish explorer, globetrotter, novelist, journalist, actor, and game show contestant. An imposingly large man (he stood over 6 '5”) with a wildly unkempt beard and a stiff wooden leg, the very image of Freuchen invites curiosity. Wanderlust, Reid's latest excellent work, explores the life of an explorer in which you're bound to get lost! In this episode, Reid and I discuss: The arresting image of Peter Freuchen; His three wives and their influence on him; His expeditions to the Arctic; Discovering the “top of the world'; Interactions with the indigenous Inuit people; The diet of the Inuit and their sexual practices; Bohemianism, within and out Europe; Freuchen's eclectic politics; Nazism and Bolshevism; The virtues of being contrarian; The “Explorer's Spirit”; The golden age of animation; The evolution of cartoons; Popeye and South Park; What is Whiskey?; The History of Whiskey in America; The Whiskey Rebellion; Alexander Hamilton v. Thomas Jefferson; How to be an author and publish a book; The writing process; and MUCH more! Visit your local bookstore (or the links below) to get your hands on Reid's three fine books: Wild Minds: The artists and Rivalries that Inspired the Golden Age of Animationhttps://www.amazon.com/Wild-Minds-Rivalries-Inspired-Animation/dp/0802129382/ref=sr_1_3?crid=143A2QGLQ68GP&keywords=reid+mitenbuler&qid=1687294732&sprefix=reid+mitenbuler%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-3Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America's Whiskeyhttps://www.amazon.com/Bourbon-Empire-Future-Americas-Whiskey/dp/014310814X/ref=sr_1_2?crid=143A2QGLQ68GP&keywords=reid+mitenbuler&qid=1687294811&sprefix=reid+mitenbuler%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-2Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, An Epic Journey, A Lost Agehttps://www.amazon.com/Wanderlust-Eccentric-Explorer-Epic-Journey/dp/0358468329/ref=sr_1_1?crid=143A2QGLQ68GP&keywords=reid+mitenbuler&qid=1687294811&sprefix=reid+mitenbuler%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-1You can visit Reid at his website: https://reidmitenbuler.com/+++ My Stuff: Check out my Instagram page for shorts from this and prior episodes: @danielethanfinneran https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/Twitter: @DanielEFinneranWebsite: finneranswake.comSend emails to finneranswake@gmail.comMy sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, mindfulness content: @pneumabydanielfinneran Pneumameditations.comBe sure to subscribe to this channel if you enjoy these conversations. Share them with family and friends. And please! comment below: Favorite whiskey? Most interesting explorer? What are your choices?
Author Reid Mitenbuler speaks with What Matters Most podcast host Paul Samuel Dolman about the book Wanderlust. The post Reid Mitenbuler #1147 appeared first on Paul Samuel Dolman.
Reid Mitenbuler (@reidmitenbuler) is the author of Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age (Mariner Books).Substack: rageagainstthealgorithm.substack.comSocial: @CNFPodSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpodShow notes: brendanomeara.com
Danish explorer Peter Freuchen was said to be one of history's most interesting men. Peter Freuchen spent 20 years living with the Inuit in Greenland, established a trading post that would be the home base for several expeditions, and went on to write books and Academy Award-winning scripts. His extraordinary life story was brought into the spotlight in author Reid Mitenbuler's book, Wanderlust. Reid Mitenbuler says he first learned about Peter Freuchen at New York's Explorer's Club, where he saw a portrait of Peter Freuchen amongst the impressive artefacts and décor. "If you had written his story as fiction, people would be like- that's too much, it's over the top. He's all over the world, and the 20th century collapsed down to the scale of his life in such an interesting way." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Let's get stranger than fiction! Author Reid Mitenbuler joins the podcast to talk his book, Wanderlust, about the Arctic explorer Peter Freuchen. We discuss a love of whiskey, a restless life, and the grossest escape story ever. You'll love it. Come listen!Buy WanderlustCheck out Reid's Website
* Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age* Connect with Reid* Rate the showAbout my guest:Reid Mitenbuler is the author of Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America's Whiskey (Viking, 2015), Wild Minds: The Artists and Rivalries That Inspired the Golden Age of Animation (Grove, 2020), and is currently working on this third book. writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Slate, Saveur, The Daily Beast, and Whisky Advocate, among other publications. His other writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Slate, Saveur, The Daily Beast, and Whisky Advocate, among other publications. He lives with his wife and son in Los Angeles. Get full access to Dispatches from the War Room at dispatchesfromthewarroom.substack.com/subscribe
This week on Lit Up, Angela chats with author Reid Mitenbuler, whose new book, Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age (Mariner at HarperCollins) charts the true story of adventurer Peter Freuchen and his larger-than-life escapades. They talk about the origins of Freuchen's adventurous spirit, the unexpected quirks you uncover when delving into someone's life story, the importance of historical context, and Mitenbuler's go-to narrative nonfiction writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week on Lit Up, Angela chats with author Reid Mitenbuler, whose new book, Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age (Mariner at HarperCollins) charts the true story of adventurer Peter Freuchen and his larger-than-life escapades. They talk about the origins of Freuchen's adventurous spirit, the unexpected quirks you uncover when delving into someone's life story, the importance of historical context, and Mitenbuler's go-to narrative nonfiction writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, Joseph Bullmore tells us why some Brits have their knickers in a twist due to rich Americans' horning in on their slice of paradise. Then Nancy Jo Sales shares her provocative theory on what might explain the allegedly murderous behavior of Bryan Kohberger, who stands accused of killing four Idaho college students. And finally, Reid Mitenbuler has the fascinating story of the larger-than-life Danish explorer who conquered the Arctic, was photographed by Irving Penn, was wooed by MGM and Hollywood, and worked to defeat Hitler. All this and more make this week's show one you won't want to miss. Listen by clicking Play below. But be sure to subscribe at Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don't miss an episode.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Join Caitlin, Ira, and special guest Reid Mitenbuler as they go one frame at a time through Max Fleischer's silent era series, Out of the Inkwell. When you finish listening be sure to check out Reid's book about the Golden Age of animation, Wild Minds.~Hosted by Caitlin Cadieux and Ira Marcks@feelingcartoons (Twitter)@feelingcartoons (Instagram)cartoonfeelings.com (Episode Archive)cartoonfeelingspodcast@gmail.com (Write Us Feelings/Questions)
Today, comedian Mary Lynn Rajskub on her wide-ranging career and innovative approach to performing in a pandemic. Also, the extraordinatry story of Wisconsin's trailblazing Native American comedian, Charlie Hill. And author Reid Mitenbuler on the wild minds that created the Golden Age of animation.
Reid Mitenbuler discusses his new book, Wild Minds: The Artists and Rivalries that Inspired the Golden Age of Animation.
Recording of Off the Shelf Radio Show from WDLR with co-hosts George Needham and Nicole Fowles. We talked to Annie Pasma, Youth Services specialist at the Delaware Main Branch. She talked about her library podcast, What to Read Wednesdays and her upcoming program 'Delaware's Got Talent. Check out our events calendar for this and other library programs. Books recommended include Take a Hint, Dani Brown by and Wild Minds by Reid Mitenbuler. Read more about today's episode here: https://libraryaware.com/287DYQ Listen live every Friday morning at 9am https://wdlrradio.com/program-schedule/off-the-shelf/ This episode originally aired on January 29, 2021
This week we are joined by Reid Mitenbuler, the author of Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America's Whiskey. So tune in as we trace back to bourbon's early days and its place in US history. In addition, we discuss the many myths surrounding this noble spirit and why they can be every bit as important as the facts. Learn more: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/315539/bourbon-empire-by-reid-mitenbuler/ SUPPORT US ON PATREON: Get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, special content and more: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Erick Castro: www.instagram.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.instagram.com/BartenderAtLarge FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: Erick Castro: www.twitter.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.twitter.com/BartendAtLarge
What can bourbon teach us about legacy, nostalgia, and consumer trends? Pappy Van Winkle is some of the most coveted bourbon in the world, but it took three generations of labor and loss to reach this pinnacle. Author Wright Thompson spent years with the third generation Van Winkle, who brought the family business back from the brink, studying the careful craftsmanship and rich history that goes into every barrel they produce. With a drink so inextricably tied to a distinct time and place, Wright found an opportunity to interrogate the mythology of the South, the seduction of nostalgia, and what it means to make things that last.RELATED READING:Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last by Wright ThompsonBourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey by Reid Mitenbuler
Edra Soto is a Puerto Rico born, Chicago based, interdisciplinary artist, educator and curator whose architectural projects connect with communities. Soto's temporary modular SCREENHOUSE pavilions are evocative symbols of her cultural assimilation that we can enter and share. Each free-standing structure functions as both sculptural object and social gathering place. Couched in beauty, her ongoing OPEN 24 HOURS project offers a different visceral encounter — with evidence of displacement and want. The aesthetic display of cast-off liquor bottles culled from steadily accumulating detritus in the historically Black neighborhood she now calls home suggests that we consider the personal and communal impact of poverty and racism. During a studio visit with the artist in Northwest Chicago, we talk about recent iterations of these projects. In concert with the 2019 Chicago Architecture Biennial, the Millennium Park Foundation commissioned the artist to produce a temporary gathering place in one of the park’s outdoor galleries. Only steps from Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate, she worked with a team to construct SCREENHOUSE. The 10-foot high pavilion made of 400 charcoal-hued, 12-inch cast concrete blocks is part of an ongoing project, an architectural series inspired by iron grills and decorative concrete screen blocks found throughout the Caribbean and the American South. New versions of OPEN 24 HOURS are on view in two 2020 exhibitions. One appears in Open House: Domestic Thresholds at the Albright-Knox Museum, in Buffalo, New York. Cognac bottles carefully arranged on shelves with decorative panels reveal the artist’s connection to two places she calls home. More liquor bottles command attention in the three-part installation she designed for State of the Art 2020. Featuring work by artists from across the United States, the exhibition celebrates the opening of The Momentary, a new contemporary art space at the Crystal Bridges Museum, in Bentonville, Arkansas. Sound Editor: Anamnesis Audio Related Episodes and Photo Features: Architecture with a Sense of Place, Views—Chicago Architecture Biennial 2019, Fresh VUE: Chicago Art and Architecture 2017 Related Links: Edra Soto, The Momentary, State of the Art 2020, Crystal Bridges Museum of Art, Knox-Albright Museum, Millennium Park, Chicago Architecture Biennial 2019 About Edra Soto: Born in Puerto Rico and based in Chicago, Edra Soto is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, curator, and co-director of the outdoor project space THE FRANKLIN. She is invested in creating and providing visual and educational models propelled by empathy and generosity. Her recent projects, which are motivated by civic and social actions, focus on fostering relationships with a wide range of communities. Recent venues presenting Soto’s work include Chicago Cultural Center (IL), Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art (KS), Pérez Art Museum Miami (FL), Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (PR), Hunter EastHarlem Gallery (NY), UIC Gallery 400 (IL), Smart Museum (IL), Bemis Center for Contemporary Art (NE), DePaul Art Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago (IL). Soto was awarded the Efroymson Contemporary Arts Fellowship, the DCASE for Individual Artist Grant from the City of Chicago, the 3Arts Make A Wave award, and 3Arts Projects grants, and the Illinois Arts Council grant. Soto holds an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts from Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico. She teaches Introduction to Social Engagement at University of Illinois in Chicago and is a lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. About SCREENHOUSE: Decorative screens, known as rejas and quiebrasoles, are ubiquitous in Soto’s birthplace in Puerto Rico. In her SCREENHOUSE series, Soto transforms the quiebrasol form from a planar screen that divides public from private into a nearly fully enclosed, free-standing structure that functions as both sculptural object and social gathering place. About OPEN 24 HOURS: Witnessing the excessive accumulation of litter and detritus in the historic African American neighborhood of East Garfield Park where she lives motivated Edra Soto to initiate this ongoing project. Since December 2016, Soto has been collecting, cleaning and classifying cast-off liquor bottles to create installations that display the impact of racism and poverty on this marginalized community in Chicago. Bourbon Empire, the book quoted below, recounts the historic connection between African Americans and cognac from its genesis in the 1930s to contemporary repercussions instigated by hip-hop and rap culture. “Cognac’s relationship with African American consumers started later, when black soldiers stationed in southwest France were introduced to it during both world wars. The connection between cognac producers and black consumers was likely bolstered by the arrival of black artists and musicians... France appreciated these distinctive art forms before the U.S. did, continuing a French tradition dating back to Alexis de Tocqueville of understanding aspects of American culture better than Americans did. For African Americans, the elegant cognac of a country that celebrated their culture instead of marginalizing it must have tasted sweet ... During the 1990s, cognac sales were slow, and the industry was battling an image populated by fusty geriatrics. Then references to cognac began surfacing in rap lyrics, a phenomenon that peaked in 2001 with Busta Rhymes and P. Diddy’s hit “Pass the Courvoisier,” causing sales of the brand to jump 30 percent. During the next five years, other rappers teamed up with brands, and increased overall sales of cognac in the U.S. by a similar percentage, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.” —Reid Mitenbuler, author of Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey
Reid Mitenbuler has spent the last several years researching how whiskey has influenced American history (and vice versa). The result of this research is his new book, Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America's Whiskey. In it, Reid takes a deep-dive into the history of American distilleries, from the pre-revolutionary war era all the way up to modern day manufacturing methods. In this episode, Chad and Reid sit down to discuss how whiskey grew from a few backyard distilleries to an industry that pumps out millions of bottles a year. Reid also talks about the secret history behind the industry that you won’t see in the commercials. Mission Daily and all of our podcasts are created with love by our team at Mission.org We own and operate a network of podcasts, and brand story studio designed to accelerate learning. Our clients include companies like Salesforce, Twilio, and Katerra who work with us because we produce results. To learn more and get our case studies, check out Mission.org/Studios. If you’re tired of media and news that promotes fear, uncertainty, and doubt and want an antidote, you’ll want to subscribe to our daily newsletter at Mission.org. When you do, you’ll receive a mission-driven newsletter every morning that will help you start your day off right!
Alexis and Elliott attempt to get closer to the man behind the marble facade: our first president, George Washington. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Joseph J. Ellis explains what made Washington a myth, even in his own time. Reid Mitenbuler, author of Bourbon Empire, sheds light on Washington’s surprising role as a major American whiskey distiller. Rohulamin Quander reflects on his ancestors enslaved at Mount Vernon, and Alexis and Elliott visit the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to see the site of Benedict Arnold’s infamous betrayal.
We're "Whiskey Talkin" or talking whiskey as we trace the history of America's Native Spirit through the bottom of a shot glass - from it's humble beginnings on the American Frontier, Bourbon quickly evolved to become an integral part of our culture and economy. Bourbon expert and author, Reid Mitenbuler joins us to explore this fertile subject and there are several surprises along the way.
Reid Mitenbuler (@ReidMitenbuler), author of Bourbon Empire, joins Ryan and Kenny to talk about the history and psyche of bourbon, “a distinctive product of the United States”. - The Frazier Museum has a new Prohibition exhibit that will become a new or even a first stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.- Reid, what’s your coming to age tale of bourbon? - What made you so fascinated that you took the time to become an author on the subject?- Talk about the misquote of bourbon being a “distinctive product of the United States”.- Talk about the beginning with the “Big Bang of Bourbon”.- In the book, you talk about myths behind the labels.- Let’s jump ahead in history, there was a lot going on in 1964. Can you talk about what was going on during that time period?- What was the result of The Bourbon Institute in overseas markets?- There is a concept of marketing that has changed the way in what you think you’re drinking.- You said (paraphrasing) “Rosenstiel presided over vicious consolidation rounds that made many distillers and brands extinct, but is also a part of the reason why many bourbons today taste as good as they do”. Talk about that. How come his name isn’t as prominent as EH Taylor for Bottled-in-Bond?- How come we don’t see a bourbon or whiskey brand named Rosenstiel?- Within the prologue, you talk about bourbon being a “comfort food”. Talk about that.- If you want to buy Bourbon Empire, it’s available on Amazon.
When it comes to Bourbon, Brooklyn resident Reid Mitenbuler is giving it to us straight. Mitenbuler’s written a book about Bourbon. Its called Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey. Mitenbuler is our guest on this week's Cityscape.
The history of Bourbon is filled with enough myths to make a dozen Disney movies, enough crimes for years of True Detective, and enough mysteries to make Sherlock Holmes hang up his deerstalker cap. In part two of our conversation with "Bourbon Empire" author Reid Mitenbuler, we'll look at the crimes, corruption, and prejudice that are part of Bourbon's past, as well as the resurgence of craft distilling and other factors that give Bourbon a bright future. In the news, Brown-Forman has started work on its new Old Forester Distillery on Louisville's Whiskey Row two weeks after a four-alarm fire threatened the $45 million dollar project, Utah's High West has opened its new distillery outside of Park City, and a rock group is lending its name to a new Irish whiskey.
Forget the debate over Alexander Hamilton’s spot on the ten-dollar bill. The founding father’s image may be better suited on a bottle of bourbon. On the latest DecodeDC podcast, guest host Todd Zwillich sits down with Reid Mitenbuler, author of Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey. Zwillich and Mitenbuler discuss a battle between two founding fathers—Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson—and how that battle has profoundly affected both American bourbon and business.
Jamie and Mark are joined by Reid Mitenbuler, the author of The Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America's Whisky. We talk about about the link between American's history and whisky, the craft whisky movement, dirty dancing references, twittersphere, and the importance of editing when writing books.
Bourbon has a unique place in American history, but as with other elements of American history...many of the stories of Bourbon are based more on myth and legend than actual facts, and the truth often gets lost over decades of marketing mythology. Reid Mitenbuler debunks many of the myths and provides historical context in his book "Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America's Whiskey." He'll share some of his stories with us in the first of a two-part interview on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, a more recent whiskey tale will cost Templeton Rye thousands of dollars in refunds and legal fees after the Iowa company settled three class-action lawsuits in what Templeton Rye co-founder Keith Kerkhoff called "legalized stealing." Scottish National Party activists want the Edinburgh government to intervene in the Scotch Whisky industry to keep more profits in Scotland, and we'll have details on new whiskies from Jack Daniel's, The Famous Grouse, The Dalmore, Pendleton, and more!
On this hour of Modern Notion Daily, we’re talking with Reid Mitenbuler, author of Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey (Viking, May 2015). The history of bourbon collides with major events in America’s past, from the Whiskey Rebellion to Prohibition. And even modern-day bourbon marketing makes ample use of America’s history of…
Most of the year, when the weather lets us, my wife and I wind down on our front porch with a bourbon. We live out in the countryside and, for no particular reason, bourbon feels like the right choice as we watch the long grass waving on the hillside and the birds shuttling back and forth between the far trees. Every so often, I’ll suggest we change things up: maybe a Scotch or an Irish whiskey–not really such a big change in the grand scheme of things–but my wife looks at me as though I’ve made some horrible faux pas, as though I’ve suggested a tumbler full of cotton-candy vodka or bacon grease. Bourbon, she insists, that’s what goes with the landscape. And she’s not alone. As Reid Mitenbuler points out in Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey (Viking, 2015), bourbon is our native spirit. This is the fact that Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning affirmed in 2007, when he sponsored a bill to declare September “National Bourbon Heritage Month.” Bourbon, the bill stressed, captures the American values of “family heritage, tradition, and deep-rooted legacy.” Like most American icons, bourbon’s true history isn’t so rosy. It is, however, fascinating, as Mitenbuler shows us by tracing the spirit’s place in every era of America’s past, from the Whiskey Rebellion of 1791 to the “Declaration of Independence” for bourbon, which wasn’t passed until 1964, when congress voted on a resolution deeming bourbon, in lackluster language, “a distinctive product of the United States.” Yet here, too, Mitenbuler finds a great story, about power brokers, corporate maneuvering, and a forgotten man named Lewis Rosenstiel, who is the reason we now have whiskeys aged over eight years. Mitenbuler offers us a rich sense of the true heritage, tradition, and legacy behind the bourbon in our glasses, and it’s as complexly American as the country itself. Scotch whiskey? Irish whiskey? My wife is certainly right. What was I thinking? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Most of the year, when the weather lets us, my wife and I wind down on our front porch with a bourbon. We live out in the countryside and, for no particular reason, bourbon feels like the right choice as we watch the long grass waving on the hillside and the birds shuttling back and forth between the far trees. Every so often, I’ll suggest we change things up: maybe a Scotch or an Irish whiskey–not really such a big change in the grand scheme of things–but my wife looks at me as though I’ve made some horrible faux pas, as though I’ve suggested a tumbler full of cotton-candy vodka or bacon grease. Bourbon, she insists, that’s what goes with the landscape. And she’s not alone. As Reid Mitenbuler points out in Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey (Viking, 2015), bourbon is our native spirit. This is the fact that Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning affirmed in 2007, when he sponsored a bill to declare September “National Bourbon Heritage Month.” Bourbon, the bill stressed, captures the American values of “family heritage, tradition, and deep-rooted legacy.” Like most American icons, bourbon’s true history isn’t so rosy. It is, however, fascinating, as Mitenbuler shows us by tracing the spirit’s place in every era of America’s past, from the Whiskey Rebellion of 1791 to the “Declaration of Independence” for bourbon, which wasn’t passed until 1964, when congress voted on a resolution deeming bourbon, in lackluster language, “a distinctive product of the United States.” Yet here, too, Mitenbuler finds a great story, about power brokers, corporate maneuvering, and a forgotten man named Lewis Rosenstiel, who is the reason we now have whiskeys aged over eight years. Mitenbuler offers us a rich sense of the true heritage, tradition, and legacy behind the bourbon in our glasses, and it’s as complexly American as the country itself. Scotch whiskey? Irish whiskey? My wife is certainly right. What was I thinking? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Most of the year, when the weather lets us, my wife and I wind down on our front porch with a bourbon. We live out in the countryside and, for no particular reason, bourbon feels like the right choice as we watch the long grass waving on the hillside and the birds shuttling back and forth between the far trees. Every so often, I’ll suggest we change things up: maybe a Scotch or an Irish whiskey–not really such a big change in the grand scheme of things–but my wife looks at me as though I’ve made some horrible faux pas, as though I’ve suggested a tumbler full of cotton-candy vodka or bacon grease. Bourbon, she insists, that’s what goes with the landscape. And she’s not alone. As Reid Mitenbuler points out in Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey (Viking, 2015), bourbon is our native spirit. This is the fact that Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning affirmed in 2007, when he sponsored a bill to declare September “National Bourbon Heritage Month.” Bourbon, the bill stressed, captures the American values of “family heritage, tradition, and deep-rooted legacy.” Like most American icons, bourbon’s true history isn’t so rosy. It is, however, fascinating, as Mitenbuler shows us by tracing the spirit’s place in every era of America’s past, from the Whiskey Rebellion of 1791 to the “Declaration of Independence” for bourbon, which wasn’t passed until 1964, when congress voted on a resolution deeming bourbon, in lackluster language, “a distinctive product of the United States.” Yet here, too, Mitenbuler finds a great story, about power brokers, corporate maneuvering, and a forgotten man named Lewis Rosenstiel, who is the reason we now have whiskeys aged over eight years. Mitenbuler offers us a rich sense of the true heritage, tradition, and legacy behind the bourbon in our glasses, and it’s as complexly American as the country itself. Scotch whiskey? Irish whiskey? My wife is certainly right. What was I thinking? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today, Americans consume 400 pounds of ice a year, each. That would have been unfathomable to people in the 18th century, but a number of innovators and ice barons in the 19th and 20th centuries changed the way we think about the slippery substance. Joining me in this episode is writer Dr. Amy Brady, author of Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks–A Cool History of a Hot Commodity.Our theme song is Frogs Legs Rag, composed by James Scott and performed by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons. The mid-episode music is “All She Gets from the Iceman is Ice,” written by Arthur J. Lamb and Alfred Solman and performed by Ada Jones in 1908; the song is in the public domain and is available via the Internet Archive. The episode image is: “Girls deliver ice. Heavy work that formerly belonged to men only is being done by girls. The ice girls are delivering ice on a route and their work requires brawn as well as the partriotic ambition to help," taken on September 16, 1918; image is in the public domain and is available via the National Archives (NAID: 533758; Local ID: 165-WW-595A(3)).Additional Sources:“The Stubborn American Who Brought Ice to the World,” By Reid Mitenbuler, The Atlantic, February 5, 2013.“Tracing the History of New England's Ice Trade,” by Devin Hahn and Amy Laskowski, The Brink: Pioneering Research from Boston University, February 4, 2022.“The Bizarre But True Story of America's Obsession With Ice Cubes,” by Reid Mitenbuler, Epicurious, September 26, 2016.“The Surprisingly Cool History of Ice, by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie, Mental Floss, February 10, 2016.“Keeping your (food) cool: From ice harvesting to electric refrigeration,” by Emma Grahn, National Museum of American History, April 29, 2015.“When Everyone Wanted to Be the Iceman,” by Kelly Robinson, Atlas Obscura, August 23, 2019.“The History of Human-Made Ice,” by Amy Brady, Discover Magazine, December 2, 2023.“The Dawn of New York's Ice Age,” by Edward T. O'Donnell, The New York Times, July 21, 2005.“The History of the Refrigerator,” by Mary Bellis, ThoughtCo, Updated on October 31, 2019.“A Chilling History: on the science and technology of portable coolers,” by Laura Prewitt, Science History Institute, July 24, 2023.No chill: A closer look at America's obsession with ice,” by Haley Chouinard, Business of Home, December 23, 2020.“Climate-Friendly Cocktail Recipes Go Light on Ice,” by Amy Brady, Scientific American, July 1, 2023.