Tradition, then, gave powerful reasons for drinking whiskey.Īmericans drank whiskey because it was cheap and plentiful. They were also seen as medications that would cure colds, reduce fevers, heal snakebites and ease the ache of a broken leg. Americans considered whiskey, rum, gin and brandy to be foods that supplemented limited and often monotonous diets. Why did Americans in those days drink so much whiskey? For one thing, there was a drinking tradition that dated back to colonial times. Today, Americans drink only about a quarter as much hard liquor. When abstainers, mostly women, are excluded, it turns out that the typical American drinking man was putting away about a half pint of hard liquor a day. In 1830, the average adult drank nearly 10 gallons of hard liquor. Too, too muchĪnne Royall, recounting her travel experiences as she crisscrossed the country in stagecoaches, wrote, "When I was in Virginia, it was too much whiskey - in Ohio, too much whiskey - in Tennessee, it is too, too much whiskey."Īnd there was lots of it. When there was no whiskey, Americans made do with the strongest and most powerful alcoholic substitutes, ranging from peach brandy to hard cider. Many drank their whiskey straight - a daring idea considering that the whiskey was colorless, biting, raw and commonly fresh from the still. At other times, bitters, lemon or spices were added. Sometimes crushed mint was added to make a mint julep. In hot weather, they downed juleps compounded of whiskey, sugar and ice. When the weather was cold, Americans took hot toddies of whiskey, sugar and hot water. They drank as much whiskey as they could get their hands on as often as possible. When they retired for the night, they took another whiskey. They had whiskey during their midmorning break and they had whiskey again in the midafternoon. They had whiskey with their lunch, whiskey with their dinner and a good many of them took whiskey for breakfast. In Andrew Jackson's day, 150 years ago, Americans preferred whiskey over all other drinks.
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