The article highlights the critical but often unrecognized contributions of Black individuals in the alcohol industry, from distilling to bartending. It centers on figures such as Nearest Green, who taught Jack Daniel distilling, and Tom Bullock, the first Black bartender to publish a cocktail book in 1917. Despite the historical significance, there have been few Black voices in cocktail literature until recent years, such as Shannon Mustipher's 2019 release. The narrative underscores the importance of honoring these contributions and expanding the representation of Black and Brown mixologists in the cocktail culture today.
It felt very poetic and surreal to follow in Bullock's footsteps. The Ideal Bartender had been on my shelf for nearly a decade...
Black people played a significant role in distilling alcoholic beverages from slavery to the present. Nearest Green taught Jack Daniel the art of distilling.
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