Jack Sullivan

Jack Sullivan will be one of four speakers for our History of Rye Whiskey: The Birth of an American Spirit discussion forum.  His extensive knowledge surrounding the original American farmer distillers of the 18th century and the distilling barons of the 19th century will add a great deal to the discussion topic. Visit his blogs, http://pre-prowhiskeymen.blogspot.com/ and http://bottlesboozeandbackstories.blogspot.com/.

Jack Sullivan is a PhD political scientist and amateur historian who writes frequently for collector publications and maintains a website devoted to the distillers, liquor wholesalers, and saloon keepers who made up the American whiskey industry before National Prohibition in 1920.  Since  2011 he has profiled almost 500 of these “whiskey men” (and women), including many from Pennsylvania.  His career before retiring in 2015 at the age of 80 encompassed 17 years as a Congressional aide, four as a U.S. foreign assistance executive, and 35 as an international development consultant.  Although Jack has worked in some 65 countries abroad, his interests center on American history and culture.  He lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with his wife of 52 years, and has two grown sons and one grandchild. Jack’s website, which has had more than 400,000 “hits,” is: “pre-prowhiskeymen@blogspot.com.”