Long before Henry Ford, on the island of Barbados, an assembly line worked tirelessly and seamlessly to turn sugarcane into sugar, molasses, and rum. In today's episode, we talk about the enslaved people who created rum, the nuances of rum varieties, and, naturally, the Boston Tea Party.

Sources:

Rum 101: An Enthusiast’s Guide to Understanding the Different Types of Rum

Rum, Encyclopedia Brittanica

"Rum: A Social and Sociable History" by Ian Williams

A (Non-) History of Jamaica in British Navy Rum

Caribbean Rum Trade Blends History With Success

"Alcohol in Latin America: A Social and Cultural History" edited by Gretchen Pierce, Maria Áurea Toxqui

Planet Money: The Billion Dollar War Behind U.S. Rum

Exploring... Clairin, The Grandfather of Rum

Cachaça: The People’s Spirit

You Know Rum—But What Is Cachaça?

"Rum Curious: The Indispensable Tasting Guide to the World's Spirit" by Fred Minnick

9 Things to Know About the Dark and Stormy History of Rum

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Negative stereotypes surrounding Black people and alcohol were largely manufactured. In this episode, we get to the truth and uncover Black Americans' longstanding relationship with temperance.

You can support the show over on Substack!

Sources:

The Forgotten History of Black Prohibitionism

Black Temperance Movement

Historical Overview of Alcohol in the African American Community by Kenneth Christmon

Alcoholism Among Blacks by John E. Franklin, Jr.

Addiction in the African American Community: The Recovery Legacies of Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X

Saloon and Bar Employees in Kentucky, 1870-1920

Blackface: The Sad History of Minstrel Shows

Second Ku Klux Klan and ‘The Birth of a Nation’

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Meet America's first-ever celebrity bartender, and pull up a stool for several iconic mint juleps. Teddy Roosevelt makes multiple cameos while J. and Kas take a tour through America's favorite Black bartenders.

Sources:

A History of Black Bartenders

The History of Black Bartenders

Famous Black Bartenders: Trailblazers and Pioneers

Five Unheralded Pioneers of the American Bar Who Pre-Date "Professor" Jerry Thomas

Cato’s Road House. Colonial African American Tavern Owner who Originated the term Cocktail

Inn Civility: Urban Taverns and Early American Civil Society

The Double Life of New York’s Black Oyster King

“Imbibe!” by David Wondrich

“Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice” by Toni Tipton-Martin

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The prevalence of liquor stores in a neighborhood can often scare away businesses that would benefit the community. In this month's episode, J. and Kas talk about the journey from Black American third spaces to the redlining policies that hold back these communities to this day.

Sources:

“Liquorlining: Liquor Store Concentration and Community Development in Lower-Income Cook County Neighborhoods” by Ann Maxwell and Daniel Immergluck

“Alcohol and Environmental Justice: The Density of Liquor Stores and Bars in Urban Neighborhoods in the United States” by Drs. John A. Romley, Deborah Cohen, Jeanne Ringel, and Roland Sturm

“Neighborhood Alcohol Outlet Density, Historical Redlining, and Violent Crime in NYC 2014–2018” by Sean Haley, Shari Jardine, Elizabeth Kelvin, Andrew Maroko, and Christopher Herrmann

Liquor Stores, Dispensaries, and Smoke Shops: Our Neighborhood Is Killing Us

FDR and Housing Legislation: 75th Anniversary of the Wagner-Steagall Housing Act of 1937

A 'Forgotten History' Of How The U.S. Government Segregated America

“We Built This: Consequences of New Deal Era Intervention in America’s Racial Geography” by Jacob W. Faber

“Alcoholism and Blacks” by Bertha Mosley, Bobbie J. Atkins, and Michael Kelin

Jazz on Jackson Street: The Birth of a Multiracial Musical Community in Seattle

During Prohibition, Harlem Night Clubs Kept the Party Going

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Join J. and Kas as they dive into the origins of cognac, its rise in popularity post-World War II, and the marketing strategies employed by brands like Hennessy to connect with Black communities. Find out why J. hates snifters, how much cognac do the French actually drink, and what do all those letters (XO, VSOP, etc.) mean.

Sources:

• How Prohibition Reinvented Drinking In America
• Hennessy’s Popularity Is Not Due To Hip Hop. The Story Is Much Deeper Than That.
• Pass the Courvoisier
• Why do Black Folks Love Cognac So Much?
• From Black GIs to Puff Daddy: How African Americans Fell in Love with Cognac
• How Hennessy Found a Home in the Black Community
• Why A Cognac Brand's Marketing Plan Includes A Black Cycling Pioneer
• Hennessy and Blacks, Straight Up
• Cognac Quality/Age Classifications
• What's the Difference Between Cognac and Brandy?
• The Quick Guide to Great Cognac

Full source list available on Substack!

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