The Birth of Bourbon: A Photographic Tour of Early Distilleries

Living in the Detroit area, I am all too familiar with the photography genre of "ruin porn" and the obsession with collapsing, abandoned, and otherwise vandalized buildings and their contents, i.e., the old Michigan Central train station that was recently purchased by the Ford Motor Company. Birth of Bourbon sounded to me like it would be a similar effort, and I suppose it is, to some extent, with its dust and rust and webs. But when I received the book and started to flip through the pages, I was transfixed by the real beauty that was in the photos, and the desire to connect them to the bustling distilleries in long ago times. While I purchased the book to speak to my bourbon history pursuits, I've found myself, several times, just flipping through the pages and taking in the magnificence of the photos. If you're interested in the history of bourbon and distilling, this book needs to be on your shelf; if you're just looking for something to flip through, you won't be disappointed either.

Bought this as a gift for my boyfriend who has an extensive bourbon collection and enjoys history. This is a photo book with captions, but very interesting. Great coffee table book.

Astonishing images from a time that is gone by, but is hopefully being re-awakened. Peachee's photographic technique and skills produce images which are a delight to the eye, and which give insight into Kentucky's distilled spirits industry of a century ago. I accompanied my children, then aged eight and five years old, on a tour of the operating Old Taylor Distillery exactly fifty years ago this past summer. The three of us visited again recently, expecting to see deserted ruins, to find to our joy that the beautiful old edifice is being re-vitalized! It is heart-warming to study Peachee's images of Old Taylor, and to realize that this venerable showplace is being lovingly rejuvenated and re-opened as Castle and Key Distillery. I can't wait! Old Taylor is but one of numerous pioneering bourbon operations which Peachee presents in this book, a wonderful text on Kentucky's signature industry.

Sent as a gift so not sure on content.

Bourbon industry ruin porn. And I mean that in a good way. The art of photography used on sometimes famous, sometimes obscure bourbon distilleries combine to make a different look at the history of commerce. If you're looking for pretty images of this whiskey business, you'll have to buy all the other books that I've purchased. I've enjoyed them as much but in a different way. This is more like a quiet look at old battlefields. You need to use your imagination to see what took place decades ago. Spend time looking at each photo. This isn't a book for speed reading. As you can guess I have been a bourbon drinker for many decades. However, like old battlefields, you don't have had been in war to understand them.

Beautiful photos, a very nice gift to a Bourbon fan.

I really enjoy this book. The photographs really present stories of bygone era’s within the Bourbon industry. I appreciated it even more as I’ve toured the Old Taylor Distillery (now Castle & Key) featured within the book, and recognized how some of the areas photographed have been restored: it was intriguing to see so many great photos of the pre-restored site.

I purchased this book as a gift for my grandpa that loves bourbon. The book seemed like it was very nice quality and he loved it.

Superb images from several closed or lost distilleries in Kentucky, in particular of the old E.H. Taylor distillery. The information about these distilleries are limited, but interesting. I really like her photographic style. Well done!

Nice pectoral history of the bourbon, industry, got it at a much better price than now