Keep whiskey the main alchohol in the US

Ja. Before addressing an ahc 'make X happen', it would be nice to see some evidence that X did or did not happen iotl.

Ive tried googling to track done this info, and ive gotten nowhere. Does anyone have a link to pertinent data?

Here's a few links about how big vodka is. General consensus in these and what I've found in non-internet sources says vodka took over from whiskey, particularly bourbon in sales by the 1970s. Every history book I've ever read on Prohibition makes a point to talk about the rise of gin. Next time I'm in the campus library I'll get authors and titles on specific books. The old episode of Modern Marvels on alcohol goes into some detail on both Prohibition gin and the rise of vodka.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodka#Today

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704211704575139891106275422.html

http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/the-vodka-revolution/Content?oid=931605
 
Here's a few links about how big vodka is. General consensus in these and what I've found in non-internet sources says vodka took over from whiskey, particularly bourbon in sales by the 1970s. Every history book I've ever read on Prohibition makes a point to talk about the rise of gin. Next time I'm in the campus library I'll get authors and titles on specific books. The old episode of Modern Marvels on alcohol goes into some detail on both Prohibition gin and the rise of vodka.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodka#Today

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704211704575139891106275422.html

http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/the-vodka-revolution/Content?oid=931605

Thank you. The wiki article is disappointing, given the number of citation needed tags, and the .... active edit history.
The wsj article seems to be behind a paywall.
But the last article proves your point to my satisfaction.

I would just point out that whisky includes rye and scotch and irish as well as bourbon, so it would have taken a few years longer for vodka to beat whisky. But it was probably in the 70s, id guess.

I would never have guessed vodka was so popular. Wow. Learn something every day.
 
Does 'whiskey' mean whiskey from Scotland & Ireland, or does it include American bourbon, Canadian, & rye? I tend to think of them all as a family.

Prohibition probably helped with the shift from aged drinks to quicker distilling drinks, for sure. It's hard to move barrels that need to sit for 10-20 years, after all.
 
Does 'whiskey' mean whiskey from Scotland & Ireland, or does it include American bourbon, Canadian, & rye? I tend to think of them all as a family.

Prohibition probably helped with the shift from aged drinks to quicker distilling drinks, for sure. It's hard to move barrels that need to sit for 10-20 years, after all.

I was thinking of them as one family for the OP. I agree on Prohibition helping make this happen. The easier ability to mix clear liquors and cover the bad tastes of bathtub made rotgut probably helped as well.
 
Thank you. The wiki article is disappointing, given the number of citation needed tags, and the .... active edit history.
The wsj article seems to be behind a paywall.
But the last article proves your point to my satisfaction.

I would just point out that whisky includes rye and scotch and irish as well as bourbon, so it would have taken a few years longer for vodka to beat whisky. But it was probably in the 70s, id guess.

Sorry about the WSJ article, it came up for me when I posted it.
The Modern Marvel's on alcohol I saw the other day was saying vodka became the most popular US liquor by the 1980s.
 
Does 'whiskey' mean whiskey from Scotland & Ireland, or does it include American bourbon, Canadian, & rye? I tend to think of them all as a family.

Prohibition probably helped with the shift from aged drinks to quicker distilling drinks, for sure. It's hard to move barrels that need to sit for 10-20 years, after all.

I think you hit it on the head there pieman, whisky/ whiskey to be any good requires aging even if it is 'only' a couple of years never mind 10 -12 years for the premium product ...

unaged whisky is effectively moonshine - if you've ever been to a distillery the stuff straight off the still is clear - the colour and complexity of a whisky/ whiskey comes from aging in oak and in the case of many Scotch malts , the re use of barrel wood from aging other spirits ( bourbons - due to the requirement to use new charred barrels everytime) or brandy / port etc ...
 
I think you hit it on the head there pieman, whisky/ whiskey to be any good requires aging even if it is 'only' a couple of years never mind 10 -12 years for the premium product ...

unaged whisky is effectively moonshine - if you've ever been to a distillery the stuff straight off the still is clear - the colour and complexity of a whisky/ whiskey comes from aging in oak and in the case of many Scotch malts , the re use of barrel wood from aging other spirits ( bourbons - due to the requirement to use new charred barrels everytime) or brandy / port etc ...

Add that it's easier to mix low quality moonshine, vodka, bath-tub gin with things to make it palatible than mixing any whiskey.
 
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