55. #tbt Bourbon Archaeology Windshield Survey

Meet Mel Hawkins - Bourbon Distiller

Toward the beginning of my research, my neighbor Sam, took me on a survey of a holler near Lawrenceburg. His grandfather Mel Hawkins always told him this was a good location for making whiskey. Sam was probably just looking for an excuse to take out his 1967 Rolls Royce, which is fine, rolling up to a strangers house in that asking about old distilleries is a great way to break the ice. 

Everyone we spoke to that day knew where “distilleries” were. Every old foundation, or pile of rocks near a water source was supposed to be an old still. Could there be that many distilleries in a holler? Maybe, but many of the stones could be something else.

How do you tell something is a distillery without a big warehouse or a sign that says "distillery"?Using only the things that were discarded or left behind how can you tell the difference between a historic house, outbuilding, mills, distillery, etc?

Comparing what we find during these excavations will help answer these questions and others.