Throwback Thursday: South Union Shaker spirits, its history of bourbon

South Union Shaker Village in nearby Logan County recently announced a special new partnership with an unexpected twist – distilling and selling its own Shakertown Spirits bourbon whiskey as the first non-profit distillery in Kentucky and the second in the whole country. The Shakers are more commonly associated with conservative lifestyles and values, but there is a whole history of spirits in the Shakertown communities across the country.

In 1821, South Union’s Shakers set up their first still. According to their archives, they had their first batch of moonshine bottled and ready to sell within three weeks. But the distilling wasn’t met with open arms by all of the Shaker community. In 1827, a group of Shaker Village men were openly admonished for “buying, hiding, and drinking whiskey out of order.”

A couple weeks ago, we published a story about the history of being wet and dry in Warren County, and we mentioned how much Americans were drinking in the late 1800s and early 20th century – sometimes more than three times the typical amount of alcohol consumed compared to today’s standards. Alcohol could take a heavy toll on family and work life. The Shakers were known to consume it the most during the labor of their work.

The central community for all Shakers, the Mount Lebanon Shaker Society in New York, said the South Union distillery had to be destroyed, and the production ceased. South Union was the only Shaker town to have ever produced whiskey, as hard cider was more popular in other Shaker communities.

It’s been nearly 200 years since the Shaker Village distilled any spirits, and the time has returned in its new form – Shakertown Spirits straight bourbon whiskey. This special release is a 4-year, single barrel-aged, 95-proof bourbon and can be ordered online from the South Union Shaker Village website. The taste is of dried fruit and green tea balanced by caramel and honey over baked apples. The bourbon is made possible through a partnership with General George Stillhouse in Falls of Rough, Ky., and bottles can be ordered from its website as well. Proceeds of the bourbon sales go toward the support of South Union Shaker Village, a non-profit attraction and community gem that tells local stories and brings history to life.