CHASING
THE BOURBON DREAM
American Still Life
By F. Paul Pacult
(John Wiley & Sons, $24.95)
Reviewed
by Nancy Huang
Beginning
in 1795 with the sale of his first “Old Jake Beam Sour Mash,”
Jacob Beam and the seven generations of sons and grandsons after
him would establish a true American dynasty, built on a foundation
of hard work, business savvy and a simple amber-colored beverage.
Wine and spirits
writer F. Paul Pacult documents the growth of the Beam family
saga, from pioneer Jacob Beam’s migration to wild “Kentucke”
to the apprenticeship of young James “Jim” Beam, the
forefather for the family’s modern-day operations. The knowledgeable
Pacult interweaves this family chronicle with the history of American
spirits, providing readers with an in-depth look at the bourbon
industry, from its beginnings as corn mash to its rise as an American
cultural symbol.
More
of a history book than a novel, American Still Life is
painstakingly accurate in descriptions and details. Pacult’s
accounts of the Whiskey Rebellion and the Civil War are highly
reminiscent of grade school, with teachers rattling out dates
and names that students could never remember in time for the pop
quizzes. However, Pacult balances the dry facts with interesting
tidbits on whiskey, including an explanation of the “Angel’s
share” and a tongue-in-cheek lesson on vodka’s threat
to the bourbon industry. This is the material wine and spirit
aficionados live for, so boring history aside, American Still
Life is a decent fireside read—complete with slippers,
bathrobe, and of course, a neat glass of Jim Beam Kentucky Straight
Bourbon.
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