Jack Daniel's Master Distiller to Retire

[SirMoby]

An drunken American legend.

I've read that it's made in a dry country so the booze actually can't be tasted on the property. Testing is done through smell.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=4351570

Jimmy Bedford appears in this undated handout photo provided by Brown-Forman. As the Jack Daniel's brand's sixth master distiller, Bedford is responsible for making the world-famous whiskey at the Jack Daniel Distillery at the tiny Tennessee town of Lynchburg. He's been featured as the face behind the product in advertising. And he's traveled the world to promote the brand. On Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008, the 68-year-old Bedford said he'll retire effective March 31 after working 40 years at the distillery, including the last 20 as master distiller. (AP Photo/Brown-Forman, HO)

[bDok]

thanks for the link. Good little read there. Jack and Makers are my favs in that order.

[Greenguy]

Is he the one that fucked everything up by switching it from 86 to 80 proof?

[Mr Exotic]

Yep, it is made in a dry county. I think one of the shows on History or Discovery channel had a show about it.

[Vendzilla]

Originally Posted by Greenie

Is he the one that fucked everything up by switching it from 86 to 80 proof?

regular Jack is 86 proof, one of the last 86 proof whiskey's

In the old west, most whiskey was 114 proof or higher, if you drank too much, a bartender reduced you to the 86 proof whiskey, hence the saying being 86th!

[Jim]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

In the old west, most whiskey was 114 proof or higher, if you drank too much, a bartender reduced you to the 86 proof whiskey, hence the saying being 86th!

I wonder which is correct...
"86'd
During the prohibition days there's a speakeasy at 86 Bedford St. in the Village in Manhattan. When the coppers came for a raid, the shout was your all 86'd, in other words, get oughta here. The place is still there called CHUMLEYS, if you can find the secret entrance!

Your all 86'd. Get outta here!"

[Simon]

Well, the Old West was before Prohibition, and the first tracked appearance of the phrase pre-dated our speakeasies, but there's no definitive answer that I know about. Some info on the variety of theories at Word-A-Day here, including the jumpers from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building, the standard height of a door frame, the Military Code for AWOL, the number of ladle servings in an Army soup pot, the depth of a grave, and some others.

Personally, not matter where it came from originally, I'm looking forward to when we "86 43!"
(a current usage referring to getting rid of G.W.Bush)