Exploring the Uncommon: Irish Whiskey Production on California's Central Coast- An Archaeological Perspective

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "In the Sticks but Not in the Weeds: Diversity, Remembrance, and the Forging of the Rural American West", at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The archaeological study at CA-SLO-568H in Camp San Luis Obispo uncovered a late 19th century homestead with unique features. Notably, a small stone oven was discovered, believed to have been used for distilling whiskey. Historical records of the Irish-descended landowners support this interpretation. Irish whiskey stills were uncommon in California, particularly along the central coast, making this find exceptional. Use of the stone oven for distilling whiskey adds an intriguing aspect to the homestead's history and highlights the rarity of such features in California's whiskey production.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2024   •
• In the Sticks but Not in the Weeds: Diversity, Remembrance, and the Forging of the Rural American West

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow