Alcohol in Early America

Rum & Cider

Rum played a significant role in early American society, with colonists consuming an average of 3.7 gallons per person annually by the time of the American Revolution. The first rum distillery in the colonies was established in Boston in 1657, and soon every notable town had its own distillery. This demand for rum was so high that it became a key component of the triangular trade, involving the importation of molasses from the Caribbean and the use of African slaves 1.

Rum became an early part of American democracy, as candidates would attract voters with campaign events with liberal amounts of free rum.

--- Gary Arndt

Rum's popularity was matched by cider, which could be produced locally from apples brought over by English settlers 1.

   

Cider & Beer

Cider was another staple in colonial America, with apple orchards spreading across New England within decades of the settlers' arrival. Unlike rum, cider production was entirely local, with apples being fermented in barrels over the winter. The simplicity of cider production made it a common beverage, with various apple varietals being named as early as the 1630s 1.

The vast majority of apple production in the English colonies was devoted to cider.

--- Gary Arndt

Beer and wine were also present, though less popular due to the challenges of growing malt and hops in New England 1.

   

Whiskey

Whiskey eventually surpassed rum in popularity as the American frontier expanded westward. Farmers found it more profitable to distill their corn and wheat into whiskey, which was easier to transport and sold for higher prices. By 1810, there were over 2,000 distillers in the United States, producing more than 2 million gallons of whiskey annually 1.

There was so much whiskey that it had sold for five cents a gallon by the 1820s, making it cheaper than beer, wine, or cider.

--- Gary Arndt

The prominence of whiskey was also due to the logistical challenges of shipping sugar or molasses to the western territories 1.