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bracing sea air helped Manuel on his visits
there. He grew stronger and worked in a
bank for a few years. He then became self
employed dealing with the trading and
shipping of various vegetables. When he
married he moved to Jerez and changed his
business from vegetables to sherry. His uncle
Tony used to visit and sample his various
sherries but there was one that was his
favourite. Manuel would put a butt aside for
him to taste at his leisure and put the name
Tio Pepe on the butt. The quality of “Uncle
Tony” soon spread and Manuel realised he
would have to concentrate on this particular
sherry. Tio Pepe is now owned by Gonzales
Byass and is the biggest selling dry sherry in
the world.

ELIJAH CRAIG

Elijah Craig was born in America of Scottish/Irish descent. He was a Baptist minister
and moved from Pennsylvania to Kentucky. As well as his church duties the
Reverend Craig was also a farmer and a distiller. He claimed he used the whiskey
for medicinal purposes, a restorative for exhausted travellers and the occasional
drop for himself.

In 1785 there was a fire in his still. Only a few of the barrels were saved and they
were badly charred. He eventually took up distilling again and had new barrels
made. When he put the latest batch into the barrels there was some spirit left over
and he had to use the charred barrels. When he eventually poured a whiskey from a
charred barrel it was noticeably darker and more mellow than that of the new barrel
spirit. The mixture of the charred barrels and extra ageing had produced a higher
quality whiskey.

He passed on the details to his fellow distillers and soon all
were using the new process. By 1792 there were 25
distilleries in the area. To distinguish their Kentucky corn
whiskey from the rye whiskey of other areas they chose
the name Bourbon. The name was taken from Bourbon
County where much of the distilling took place. An
unfortunate accident led to one of the most popular spirits
in the world. Elijah Craig is now a brand of Heaven Hill.

Unfortunately I do not have an Elijah Craig mini (picture is
for a 750ml bottle), and nor is there one on Miniature
Bottle Library. I have also looked online and cannot find
one. Does anyone know if they have ever made any?

Frank Wynn

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