Interview with Mike Veach, February 3, 2011

Interview Summary

Mike Veach is Associate Curator of Special Collections at the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, Kentucky. In this interview he discusses some of the materials collected by the Filson Historical Society that demonstrate the history of the bourbon industry in Kentucky. He talks about the early days of farmer distillers, through the Whiskey Rebellion, the War of 1812, World War I, Prohibition, and the Pure Food and Drug Act, to the creation of what we know of as bourbon today. He talks about when distillers may have begun using charred oak barrels to age whiskey, when the product began to be called bourbon, and technological advancements in distilling. He talks about the history of several distilleries, including the Old Fashioned Copper Distillery, once owned by E. H. Taylor, now known as the Buffalo Trace Distillery. He talks about Kentucky as the home of bourbon and why bourbon became the dominant American whiskey.

Interview Keyword

Filson Historical Society Quality of products. Prohibition. Kentucky history Whiskey in Kentucky Sales promotion.

Interview LC Subject

Bourbon whiskey Buffalo Trace Distillery Veach, Mike Veach, Mike--Interviews Whiskey Whiskey industry--Kentucky Alcohol--Law and legislation Distilleries--Kentucky Whiskey industry--Kentucky--History Economic conditions Alcohol--Taxation--United States Distillation Distillers

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.