This image is the cover for the book Distilled in Chicago, American Palate

Distilled in Chicago, American Palate

From the mash in pioneer stills to the Malört in a hipster's shot glass , David Witter explores how liquor has influenced nearly two centuries of Chicago's existence.

Follow the trickle of alcohol through Chicago's history, starting with the town's first three permanent businesses: The Wolf, Green Tree and Eagle Exchange Taverns. Stir together stories from the Peoria Whiskey Trust and the Temperance Movement. The cocktails that lubricated the Levee District may have set up Chicago's first gangsters, but Prohibition-era bootleggers would change the city's identity forever. Post-Prohibition alcohol helped to create vast fortunes for Chicago based families and corporations, and the new Millennium saw KOVAL usher in a new era small and craft distilleries throughout Chicagoland. Sample a spirited history of the Windy City.

David Witter

David Witter is a Chicago-based author who has written four books: Oldest Chicago I, Oldest Chicago II, Chicago Magic: A History of Stagecraft and Spectacle and Distilled Chicago: A History. His writing on Chicago has appeared in many publications, including New City, the Chicago Reader and the Washington Post.

The History Press