Digging for Truth: “The Missing Link” Between Facts and History

First it was Richard III. Now it’s Alfred the Great  a month later. At this rate, we will have found the remains of all our great past rulers in no time. Or will we have?

Archaeological discoveries, like those presumed of these kings, always prove to be extraordinarily exciting—even for people outside of the field. We want the physical evidence of who, and where, we came from. As Ed Steers puts it in his new book, Hoax:

That man should be interested in man, and how the human species came to be is self-evident.

However, how often does this excitement distract us from the facts? Back in 1912, amateur archaeologist Charles Dawson, together with notable geologist Sir Arthur Smith Woodward, announced that they had unearthed the “Missing Link” between ape and human evolution. The remains came to be known as the Piltdown Man, named after the British village where Dawson supposedly found him. As Englishmen, this was particularly spectacular news—before their “discovery,” no one had ever uncovered early human fossils in Great Britain. Edward Steers emphasizes this early twentieth-century deficiency in the British scientific community, as he simultaneously presents scientific evidence exposing the “Missing Link” as a fraud. Steers seems to say: how perfect.

According to Steers, two factors play into the success of a hoax: greed, and the desire to believe. He contends that such was the case in England with Dawson’s Piltdown Man. Read more about this story in Steers’s new book, Hoax: Hitler’s Diaries, Lincoln’s Assassins, and other Famous Frauds, and you may find yourself more skeptical when the next big breakthrough is announced.

Enter our weekly giveaway to receive a free copy of Hoax. The lucky winner will be chosen Friday at 1 pm. Good luck!

No Joke—Another Giveaway from UPK!

Happy April Fool’s—a day of changing clocks, fixing faucets, and swapping sugar for salt. Each year, the first of April is guaranteed to elicit many playful schemes. But occasionally history has entertained pranks with graver implications. Take, for example, one of America’s greatest hoaxes:

“The Oath of a Freeman” was the first printed paper in the colonies, documenting the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s free male members’ pledge to protect the colony and not overthrow its government. Because it was among the first printed documents, its value would be enormous if ever found. In 1985, Mark Hofmann made all of America think he was the “lucky guy” to finally discover it. What began as a sleight of hand in a New York bookstore spiraled into a grand deceit involving prestigious organizations like the Library of Congress and American Antiquarian Society, as well as a tragic bombing in Salt Lake City. Looking back, Charles Hamilton, a document dealer and handwriting expert, says:

Mark Hofmann was unquestionably the most skilled forger this country has ever seen … he perpetrated by far the largest monetary frauds through forgery that this country has ever had. He fooled me – he fooled everybody.

On this week of foolery, we’ll be showcasing some of history’s most perpetuated frauds and deceptions as we lead up to our Friday giveaway of Edward Steers’s Hoax: Hitler’s Diaries, Lincoln’s Assassins, and other Famous Frauds. In it, Steers debunks six notable hoaxes, including Hofmann’s, and explains what has kept them circulating in popular culture. Enter now for your chance to win a copy—after reading it, you can decide for yourself what’s a sham, and what’s not.

Originally trained as a molecular biologist, Ed Steers worked as a biomedical researcher until retiring in 1994 and taking up writing full time. Since then, he has written many best-selling American history books, including  Blood on the Moon and Lincoln Legends, both published by the University Press of Kentucky. With a passion for both science and history, Steers is the go-to guy if you want the truth behind the legend.

Is the Old Fashioned the Leading Man’s New Cocktail?

Can you spot the Old Fashioned?

This week, we’ve already talked about the Old Fashioned’s part as practically a supporting character in Mad Men, but did you know that the classic cocktail is a favorite of another smooth-talking character?

As Albert Schmid details in his preface for The Old Fashioned, the drink makes a pretty big splash in the 2011 Warner Brothers picture, Crazy, Stupid, Love. Ryan Gosling’s character, Jacob, resident Don Juan and romance coach to Steve Carell’s Cal, casually sips the whiskey cocktail (which contains Pappy Van Winkle bourbon to be precise) all throughout the movie’s two hours and ten minutes.

Schmid states, “Of all the cocktails for Jacob to use in the art of seduction, the Old Fashioned is the most poetic drink he could choose. The bittersweet whiskey-flavored beverage is simple to make but requires practice to perfect. The process of muddling the fruit (as some recipes call for) can be very seductive, if done by the right person.”

There have definitely been a bevy of articles proclaiming the return of the Old Fashioned over the past few years, and choice for signature cocktail of these characters indicates that those in Hollywood definitely have a finger on the pulse of new trends. So what is it about the Old Fashioned that says “leading man?” Is the Old Fashioned just what Hollywood is making men drink or maybe, is there supposed to be a little something more to the men who drink Old Fashioned’s?

Don’t forget to register by tomorrow at 1PM for this week’s giveaway, The Old Fashioned by Albert W. A. Schmid!

Which Came First: The Bourbon or the Rye?

Just why is it that we Kentuckians insist on Old Fashioned’s made only with the best bourbon whiskey and eschew the rye? Well it turns out the first pour of bourbon in an Old Fashioned was just convenience and a little bit of state pride, of course!

According to Albert Schmid’s The Old Fashioned, “Although the original cocktail was made with rye whiskey. . . . The Kentucky bartender would have had greater access to bourbon and most likely substituted that for rye.” So really, it was a matter of practicality. Why would someone from Louisville, Kentucky, use an imported whiskey to make a cocktail where there was just so much bourbon around to be had?

So which do you prefer to see poured into your Old Fashioned glass? Does it matter which came first: the bourbon or the rye?

Don’t forget to register for our giveaway this week by Friday at 1PM! One lucky entrant will receive a copy of Albert W. A. Schmid’s The Old Fashioned: An Essential Guide to the Original Whiskey Cocktail.

A Drink Like Don’s: How Mad Men Helped the Old Fashioned’s Revival

The season six premiere of Mad Men is coming up in just a few short weeks. AMC already has their promo out and as I watched the tantalizing clips the other night I remembered Don Draper’s yen for the Old Fashioned. I think it’s safe to say that the amber colored cocktail has made more appearances on that show than some of the supporting characters, and as a result, its quiet presence unleashed a whole new love for this classic drink.

Similar to the draw of the Cosmopolitan on Sex and the City, the Old Fashioned on Mad Men introduced many to this original whiskey cocktail and induced them to order it at bars in droves. As Robert Simonson wrote in a May 2012 article for the New York Times called “Old-Fashioned or New Fangled, the Old-Fashioned is Back,” “A quick scan of today’s drinking scene illustrates the cocktail’s new currency. It’s a rare craft cocktail bar whose debut menu doesn’t feature either the Old-Fashioned or a modern twist on the drink’s elegant formula of whiskey, water, sugar and bitters.”

In keeping with the resurgence of the Old Fashioned, Albert W. A. Schmid’s The Old Fashioned has over 40 recipes for variations on the drink, from the pared down, no explanation “The Old Waldorf Bar Old Fashioned” to the more exotic “Blackberry Honey Old Fashioned.” Though Don Draper might not have gone in for the latter, we happen to think he would approve of an entire book devoted to his favorite drink.

A Kentucky Old Fashioned

This week’s giveaway is The Old Fashioned: An Essential Guide to the Original Whiskey Cocktail by Albert W. A. Schmid. Make sure to enter our giveaway below by Friday, March 29th at 1PM for a chance to bring home this fun companion of cocktail history and recipes.

It may be snowing outside today, but the First Saturday in May is only a little over a month away! With an event so steeped in Kentucky history, it is only appropriate to get in the “spirit” of the event with a classic Kentucky cocktail. Though many people think of the Mint Julep as the Kentucky Derby’s signature cocktail, it turns out that our state’s claim to the cocktail world may be even more fundamental than that. If legend is to be believed, Kentucky is the state that invented the first cocktail, or at least gave it its name: the Old Fashioned.

As Albert W. A. Schmid recounts in Chapter 2 of his book The Old Fashioned, many books and newspaper articles attribute the first Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail to an unnamed bartender at Louisville’s own, The Pendennis Club. Founded in 1881, the members of the private club in downtown Louisville have proudly adopted the Old Fashioned and given it a home. From there, it’s said that the Old Fashioned made its way to the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York, taken there by none other than Pendennis Club member, James E. Pepper, noted distiller and horse breeder.

Today, amid the resurgence of interest in craft cocktails, The Old Fashioned has made its way back onto the bar scene. Made by many a bartender with just a sugar cube, dash of bitters, a healthy dose of Bourbon Whiskey (or Rye if you please), and a hint of orange for garnish, the Old Fashioned marks a return to traditional cocktail-making, leaving all its overly-complicated cousins in its wake. So this May, when you’re looking for a cocktail to accompany the Run for the Roses, a classic Kentucky Old Fashioned may just be the drink to beat.

Recipe for the Pendennis Club Old Fashioned Cocktail from Chapter 3 of The Old Fashioned.

Using an old-fashioned glass, crush a small lump of sugar in just enough water to dissolve thoroughly. Add one dash of Angostura and two dashes of orange bitters. Add large cube of ice and one jigger of whiskey. Twist and drop in lemon peel, and stir until mixed thoroughly. Remove ice and garnish with cherry.

No Batteries Required

Chances are, you’ve heard of slingshots and rag dolls. But what about Tom walkers? Corn husk dolls? Limberjacks? Appalachian Toys and Games from A to Z explores these favorite Appalachian toys and more.

T is for Tom Walkers

Also called “stilts” and “walking crutches,” Tom walkers were fashioned from sturdy trees. Learning to use them took lots of practice!

C is for Corn Husk Doll

Corn husk dolls have been around for centuries. Also known as faceless dolls, this toy was introduced to frontier settlers by the Iroquois Indians. According to Iroquois legend, there was once a very beautiful but also very vain corn husk doll. Rather than to do her chores, she would go into the woods and gaze at her reflection in the river. The Great Spirit God was angry with her. He sent a messenger to warn her, but she didn’t listen and so he had no choice but to punish her. He took away her beautiful face. These dolls and this story reminded Appalachian children to avoid vanity.

L is for Limber Jack

Limber jacks, or “jig dolls” as they’re called in Europe, are traditional wooden toys for children (and adults too)! With loose limbs, these dolls dance a jig on the end of a platform in imitation of a real step dancer.

Remember to enter for your chance to win a copy of Linda Hager Pack’s new book, illustrated with these and more vibrant watercolors by Pat Banks.

What’s a whimmydiddle?

W is for Whimmydiddle

The whimmydiddle was an intriguing toy that boys fashioned using their trusted pocketknives and sticks gathered from the forest. This toy was known by several different names. It was called a hoodoo stick by the Cherokee, a ziggerboo by some in Tennessee, a geehaw in Georgia, and a lie detector in Ohio. The toy consisted of two parts: a notched stick with a spinner or whirligig on the end and a smaller rubbing stick. The trick to playing with a whimmydiddle was knowing how to make the toy respond to the verbal commands of “gee” and “haw.” When the operator of the toy said “gee,” the toy would spin to the right. When he said “haw,” the toy would spin to the left. How did he do it? The trick is in the placement of the fingers on the notched stick.

Outdoor Games

The sun shines bright in the Bluegrass state today, and spring is right around the corner! Take a peak inside this week’s giveaway book for games to play outside.

J is for Jumping Rope

Jumping rope was a favorite pastime in the mountains. All that was needed was something to use as a rope and several good jumping rhymes set to memory. Rope wasn’t always available, so Appalachia’s children made do with honeysuckle vine, plough lines, or a string of rags tied together.

M is for Marbles

Marbles, sometimes known as marvils, was played in schoolyards, barnyards, and favorite dirt spots on the way home from school.

V is for Vaulting

Trees provided lots of fun in the Appalachian Mountains. Vaulting involved climbing up to the very top of a tall tree, crawling out to the end of a small, bendy branch, and then riding it to the top of another tree. And hanging on for dear life!

These stunning images, illustrated by Pat Banks, capture the beauty of Appalachia and the children who made it their playground. Enter for your chance to win a copy of Appalachian Toys and Games from A to Z!

A Spirited Giveaway: KENTUCKY BOURBON WHISKEY

“If I cannot drink Bourbon and smoke cigars in Heaven then I shall not go.” —Mark Twain

Raise a glass to this week’s giveaway! Enter to win a copy of Michael R. Veach’s Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage. Sign up by Friday, March 15 at 1 pm for your chance to win!

On May 4, 1964, Congress designated bourbon as a distinctive product of the United States, and it remains the only spirit produced in this country to enjoy such protection. Its history stretches back almost to the founding of the nation and includes many colorful characters, both well known and obscure, from the hatchet-wielding prohibitionist Carry Nation to George Garvin Brown, who in 1872 created Old Forester, the first bourbon to be sold only by the bottle. Although obscured by myth, the history of bourbon reflects the history of our nation.

Historian Michael R. Veach reveals the true story of bourbon in Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey. Starting with the Whiskey Rebellion of the 1790s, he traces the history of this unique beverage through the Industrial Revolution, the Civil War, Prohibition, the Great Depression, and up to the present. Veach explores aspects of bourbon that have been ignored by others, including the technology behind its production, the effects of the Pure Food and Drug Act, and how Prohibition contributed to the Great Depression. The myths surrounding bourbon are legion, but Veach separates fact from legend. While the true origin of the spirit may never be known for certain, he proposes a compelling new theory.

With the explosion of super-premium bourbons and craft distilleries and the establishment of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, interest in bourbon has never been higher. Veach shines a light on its pivotal place in our national heritage, presenting the most complete and wide-ranging history of bourbon available.