Lot 264E email save

M'HARRY, Samuel. The Practical Distiller... 1809

Sign In to see what this sold for

Harrisburg: John Wyeth, 1809. 8vo (190 x 120 mm). Contemporary calf. Condition: light marginal dampstain to preliminary and terminal two signatures and endpapers, minor chipping to endpapers, light intemittent marginal dampstaining throughout; corner lightly chipped, joints and spine ends rubbed, spine label lacking, but a very sound copy. Provenance: Jesse Tomlinson, an early tavern owner (signature to title, manuscript recipes on the endpapers). first edition. includes manuscript recipes for kentucky whiskey and other important notes on making bourbon. Just the second American book on distilling, the Practical Distiller is a classic rare and vital work on the practicalities and economics of liqour production in early 19th century America. Of particular interest is M'Harry's advice to char the barrels by burning straw to "sweeten" the barrel and his use of maple charcoal filtering to give "aged flavor" to the product. The former seems a precursor to the barrel charring practiced by the best whiskey makers today while the charcoal filtering is an essential to Tennessee Whiskey. The early owner of this copy, Jesse Tomlinson, was the proprietor of a tavern on the National Road and has augmented considerably the recipies given with others recorded in manuscript including "To Distill Corn Kentucky" and another for rye and corn mixture. rare. Gabler G28530; Rink 1473; Shaw & Shoemaker 17955.

View Bloomsbury Auctions next auction.

Similar lots up for auction