Good Libations columnist Gordon Kendall

• Gordon Kendall's column, "Good Libations," runs monthly in Extra. He welcomes readers' questions and comments about wine, beer or spirits.

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If the idea of spontaneous groups banding together to protest high government debt and increased taxes seems new to you, step back in time to 1790, when America was in its infancy. The federal government had assumed the financial burdens incurred by the Colonies during the Revolutionary war and was deeply in debt. To raise revenue, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton proposed an excise tax on distilled spirits. Congress passed the legislation in 1791.

At the time, folks living in the Eastern portion of the country drank mostly Madeira and Port wines. The rough-and-tumble trailblazers in the western frontier drank whiskey, which was primarily distilled from readily available rye grain. The new tax was enforced by excise officers who opened up offices in sometimes remote counties. These unpopular officers were threatened by the locals and often ultimately resigned. Those who remained were sometimes tarred and feathered.

Things got so bad that in 1794 President George Washington amassed 12,950 militia members and rode with Hamilton at his side into western Pennsylvania and put down the rebellion. In total, about 150 "insurgents," as Washington called them, were arrested, but they were eventually acquitted and released. This "Whiskey Rebellion" is regarded as the nation's first test of its commitment to enforcing security and the rule of law.

In those days, various grains composed the "mash bill," or list of raw ingredients used to make whiskey. Over time, rye became the primary type of grain used.

Washington maintained a still at his Mount Vernon estate where he produced rye whiskey. The restored distillery is a popular tourist destination today.

In 1919, Congress overrode a veto by Woodrow Wilson and enacted the Volstead Act, prohibiting the production and possession of alcohol. Prohibition produced many unintended problems and was repealed in 1933. After Prohibition, distillers in Kentucky were able to restore productions easily, which led to bourbon becoming the leading American whiskey. Today rye whiskey, with its light caramel notes and spicier flavor, is experiencing a renaissance.

Part of the comeback of rye whiskey is being fueled by the A. Smith Bowman Distillery near Fredericksburg. They produce a high-end line of spirits, including Abraham Bowman Whiskey, made from 100 percent rye grain and aged in barrels for 12 years.

In 2009, Becky and Scott Harris opened the Catoctin Creek Distilling Company in Purcellville, in Loudoun County. Organically grown ingredients are used and are sourced locally whenever possible. They produce a clear rye spirit known as Mosby's Spirit named after Confederate Col. John Mosby. The clear spirit is aged in oak barrels to produce the amber-hued Roundstone Rye whiskey, which displays notes of spice, light caramel and citrus. This product was recently added to the Virginia ABC store list and will soon be available for about $38.

A truly authentic all-American cocktail is the rye-based Sazerac. This drink traces its history to a 19th-century apothecary in New Orleans named Antoine Peychaud who developed a concoction of bitter aromatic ingredients intended to aid digestion. He created a mixed drink using brandy, sugar and his bitters. The most popular brandy in those days was a French product called Sazerac-du-Forge, from which the drink derived its name. In the 1870s, the pest phylloxera devastated the vineyards in France, causing the grape brandy to become scarce. Creative bartenders started using readily available rye whiskey instead, adding a dash of absinthe. Today, the Sazerac is very popular with residents of New Orleans.

In the late 1800s, it was popular to mix various liquors with vermouth, a flavorful, herb-infused fortified wine. During America's Gilded Age, a mixture of rye, sweet vermouth and cherry juice took favor with wealthy captains of industry in the Northeast. This cocktail, known as the Manhattan, was first mentioned in the New York magazine Olean in 1882. After Prohibition, the drink was generally made with readily available bourbon, which offers a smooth, buttery taste in contrast to the rye version's spiciness. An authentic, old-style recipe is included with this column.

Gordon Kendall's column about wine and spirits runs monthly in Wednesday's Extra.