Happy birthday to this landmark legislation. Whenever you sip American whiskey and it doesn’t smell or taste of creosote and iodine, raise your glass in a toast to Col. E.H. Taylor (later U.S. Senator E.H. Taylor) and his allies in the distilling industry for working with then-Secretary of the Treasury John G. Carlisle to protect consumers and elevate the industry’s standards with this law.
Here’s the complete text of today’s Facebook post by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States:
“On this day 125 years ago the Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897 was passed, creating the nation’s first consumer protection law.
“Prior to the 1900’s, counterfeit whiskey was flooding the marketplace. Bourbon was one of the most commonly knocked-off spirits, faked with the use of colorings and flavors. The Act set the standard for what would be considered real whiskey, allowing drinkers to know exactly what was in their glass.
“In order to be labeled “Bottled-In-Bond,” distilleries had to follow explicit regulations including:
•Composed of the same kind of spirits produced from the same class of materials
•Produced in the same distilling season by the same distiller at the same distillery
•Must be aged for at least 4 years in wooden containers in a Federally Bonded warehouse
•Unadulterated from it’s original condition or character (filtration being allowed as long as it does not add substances)
•Reduced to 50% ABV (100 Proof) through the use of pure water
•Bottled at 50% ABV (100 Proof)
“The passage of the Bottled-In-Bond Act paved the way for more laws to make sure customers were buying the products advertised, including legally defining “Straight Whiskey” and later “Bourbon” – thus creating high standards that have earned respect throughout the world.”
The Libation Lounge 