Dead Distillers: A History of the Upstarts and Outlaws Who Made American Spirits

George Washington ran one of the largest whiskey distilleries in colonial America — and Abrams' Dead Distillers uses that fact as a starting gun.

This book collects 50 biographies of the upstarts, outlaws, presidents, and pioneers who shaped American spirits — written not by historians but by working craft distillers who know their way around a still. That perspective matters. Where a standard history might treat moonshining as a colorful footnote, the authors here understand the economics, the chemistry, and the sheer stubbornness required to keep a distillery alive. The result reads less like a textbook and more like a conversation at a very well-stocked bar, with stories that reframe familiar American history through the lens of who was actually making the whiskey, rum, and brandy that fueled it.

If you love American whiskey, collect spirits books, or just want something genuinely surprising on your shelf, this one earns its place.

• 50 biographical profiles spanning presidents, outlaws, immigrants, and trailblazers in American distilling history
• Written by craft distillers, bringing technical and cultural authority that separates it from standard popular history
• Covers the full sweep of American spirits — whiskey, rum, brandy, and beyond — not just bourbon
• Stories range from colonial America through Prohibition and into the modern craft distilling movement
• Published by Abrams, a press known for well-produced, visually considered books on food, drink, and culture
• Structured as standalone biographies, so it reads equally well cover-to-cover or in shorter sittings
• Accessible to casual readers while offering enough depth to satisfy serious spirits enthusiasts

Care & Cleaning: Keep your copy of Dead Distillers out of direct sunlight and away from humidity — both are hard on book spines and covers over time. Store it upright on a shelf with enough support that it doesn't lean, which can warp a hardcover binding. For dust, a soft dry cloth across the cover is all it needs. This is the kind of American spirits book that gets passed around, so a protective sleeve is worth considering if you plan to lend it freely. Abrams books are built to last, but a little care goes a long way.