The Spirit of Rebellion

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Brady Johnson
April 9, 2025
9:28 am
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In this article, we explore the concept of the Whiskey Rebellion.

Why is it so important to whiskey today?

How it still shapes whiskey today?

Let's talk about it

What Exactly Was the Whiskey Rebellion—and Why Is It Important to Whiskey Today?

When you sip American whiskey, you’re not just enjoying your favorite spirit—you’re tasting history, rebellious legacy that was nearly crushed under the weight of taxes, rebellion, and revolution.

Long before Prohibition or bourbon booms, the Whiskey Rebellion of the 1790s tested the foundation of our brand-new nation. It was loud, fiery, and it forever shaped the whiskey world that we know today.

A Nation Born In Rebellion Of Opression… But, Repeating It?

1790: The United States had just won independence after years of resisting British taxation—most famously on tea. Colonists fought a bloody revolution to rid themselves of a distant government that taxed them, without representation, and always found a new reason that taxes needed to be increased to fund the British empires financial irresponsibility.

So when the U.S. government, barely a few years old, imposed an excise tax on distilled spirits in 1791, the irony wasn’t lost on the small farmers and distillers in Western Pennsylvania. These were the same people who had just supported the Revolution. Now, their new government was doing the very thing that they had just bled, to stop.

To these frontier families, whiskey was more than a drink. It was currency, medicine, community, and survival. Transporting raw grain over the Appalachians was impractical, but distilling it into whiskey turned it into something far more valuable—and tradable. Farmers took their corn, rye, barley, and wheat, and began distilling them after finding that poor storage of their grains was leading to spoilage, before they were able to be used completely. Farmers were just doing what they needed to do to get by. So, when Alexander Hamilton’s tax came down, it wasn’t just seen as unfair. It was personal, and it was a betrayal.

Enter General Neville and the Boiling Point

The man tasked by President George Washington with enforcing the whiskey tax in Pennsylvania, was General John Neville. Neville was a wealthy landowner and Revolutionary War veteran. Based near modern-day Neville Island in the Pittsburgh region, Neville became the face of federal oppression in the eyes of angry farmers, who could not afford to pay the same tax on their distilled grains, as larger big city distilleries could.

Resistance escalated quickly. Farmers began erecting Liberty Poles, wooden symbols of protest borrowed from the Revolution, representing their fight against tyranny. These poles popped up across Western Pennsylvania, and became rallying points for organizing resistance. They also symbolically put tax collectors on notice, that they were not in friendly territory. They dared them, if they wanted their taxes, to "Come and Take It."

But the rebellion hit a fever pitch in 1794, when farmers and militiamen confronted Neville at his mansion. After a heated standoff, the rebel farmers burned his house to the ground, killed one of Neville’s slaves and a few federal guards. This was almost the beginning, of a war weary nations, first Civil War.

Washington Rides West

For the first and only time in U.S. history, a sitting president—George Washington—personally led troops in the field. He raised a 13,000-strong militia and marched into Pennsylvania to crush the uprising. By the time they arrived, the rebels had mostly dispersed, but the 2 sided message was clear: the federal government would assert its authority, and oppression would be challenged.

Many rebels were arrested. A few were tried for treason. Most were pardoned. But the scars—and the symbolism—ran deep. In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson repealed the whiskey tax. The rebel farmers had made their position clear.

How This Still Shapes Whiskey Today:

Whiskey Became the Spirit of Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion cemented whiskey’s identity as a drink of the people. It’s why so many distilleries today draw on its legacy. In fact, in Washington, PA, Liberty Pole Spirits pays direct tribute to this moment in history—its name a nod to those early protestors who dared to raise wooden flags of resistance against taxation and tyranny. Liberty Pole sells a T-shirt in their gift shop with the words "Whiskey. Because their was never a Vodka Rebellion." printed on it.
The Rebellion Helped Create Kentucky Bourbon
After the rebellion, many Pennsylvania distillers—sick of federal interference—migrated south and west, settling in what was then the Kentucky frontier. They brought with them their stills, their grain, and their know-how. Without Pennsylvania’s whiskey culture, Kentucky may never have become bourbon country. The roots of American whiskey run through the Allegheny foothills before they ever touched Bluegrass soil. Kentucky owes a great deal to Western Pennsylvania farmers.
It Set the Stage for Federal Regulation
The rebellion did prove that the federal government would enforce its laws—even in rural areas. This laid the groundwork for future regulation, taxation, and eventually Prohibition. Every bottle today is stamped, bonded, and taxed in ways that trace back to the very rebellion against those same systems. Hmm..
It’s Still in the DNA of Craft Distillers
Craft distillers across the country, especially in Pennsylvania, wear the Whiskey Rebellion as a badge of honor. Whether they’re preserving traditional methods, getting grains from the same land those rebellious farmers once worked, or pushing back against industry giants, they embody the same spirit of independence and resistance.

Final Pour

The Whiskey Rebellion wasn’t just a tax revolt—it was a flashpoint that tested the meaning of the Revolution itself. It asked: Who really holds the power? And how much are people willing to sacrifice for their way of life? Not long after a war against government oppression, a new nation was already resisting more of the same.

Today, we honor that history every time we raise a glass. We honor the farmers who refused to be pushed around, the rebels who raised Liberty Poles in protest, and the distillers who packed up and carved out a new future in Kentucky.

In the same spirit that brought us whiskey as we know it today, there's a new rebellion afoot. A rebellion against the status quo of labor intensive bourbon hunting, that has made scoring great bottles at great prices, far more difficult than it needs to be. At BRBNFNDR, our mission is to connect bourbon enthusiasts and level the playing field by making bourbon hunting simpler, more enjoyable, and accessible for everyone. We strive to empower our users with the tools and insights they need to make informed decisions and find their perfect pour. Try brbnfndr FREE for 30 days, and change the way you hunt bourbon.

So when you sip some bold, barrel-proof, unapologetically American whiskey—remember: Whiskey was forged in fire.

Cheers to the spirit that built a nation.