What do Prohibition, Pappy Van Winkle and Mammoth Cave have in common? A very special bourbon brand! Abandoned in the 1960's and restored in 2024, Mammoth Cave Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey is now available at The Lodge at Mammoth Cave gift shop, and the tasting room at Balance Distilling. Selling fast, hurry!
William Bernard “Big Six” Henderson was a federal agent working in the South-Central Kentucky region during the 1950’s and 60’s who possessed a particular passion for “still busting” - 5,000 moonshine stills destroyed to his count. During his time as a “revenuer,” areas of Kentucky had become a hotbed for moonshining. In fact, Golden Pond in western Kentucky was known as the “Moonshine Capital of the World,” with as many as 15 stills running a day.
In the rolling hills of Kentucky, known more for its bourbon than any other spirit, there’s an oft-forgotten chapter in the state’s long history of distilling: the story of rum. While bourbon was born from the land’s rich cornfields and limestone water, Kentucky’s relationship with rum has roots that run deep, tangled with the rise and fall of trade, politics, and the search for a better sip.
