A Letter Dated 1909 Regarding Bottled In Bond Offerings From The Old Grand Dad Distillery

I think everyone knows that Bottled In Bond whiskies hold a special place in my heart. Not only was the Bottled In Bond Act of 1897 the first consumer protection legislation in the history of the United States, it probably saved straight whiskies from the rectifiers and blenders. In other words, if it wasn’t for Bottled In Bond, we might all be drinking Seagrams 7 today.

When the BIB Act was passed in 1897, the distilleries had to educate bartenders, customers and the consumers on just what it was. I came across a letter from O.H. Wathen from 1909. They distilled Old Grand Dad Whiskey, and he is informing one is his distributors, Mesars, Bateman-Switzer Co. (and I assume duplicate letters to other distributors were sent at the same time) that the demand for their Old Grand Dad B.I.B. and other B.I.B. private label was great, and if they wanted delivery for the “Christmas trade” it would be “well for you to favor us with your order now for the amounts you would want…”