Staff Picks

Streeter Seidell

Learn Something IV

by Streeter Seidell on


It’s a stupid world but someone’s gotta educate it. Luckily, I’m here to point you towards the glowing light of knowledge. This week…

The Origins of Alcohol Brand Names

Jack Daniel’s – There never was a man named Jack Daniel, but there was a man named Jasper Newton Daniel who went by the nickname “Jack.” Records are foggy but he may have gotten his distiller’s license at the ripe old age of 16.
Coors – The empire that is the Coors Brewing Company was founded by a Prussian immigrant named Adolph Kuhrs {later changed to Coors} when he opened a brewery in Colorado in 1873. Depressing fact about ol’ Adolph: he killed himself by jumping out of a hotel window in 1929.
Bacardi – The man responsible the night-destroyer that is Bacardi 151 was a Cuban named Don Facundo Bacardi Masso who started his rum company in 1862. The Bacardi Bat logo came from the fruit bats that lived in the rafters of the distillery.
Tanqueray – The gin that launched a thousand pukes was invented by a British man named Charles Tanqueray. Charles broke a nasty family habit of becoming a preacher – which had been going strong for three generations – and started up his gin business in 1830. During WWII the Tanqueray factory was hit by Nazi bombs and almost completely destroyed. One still, named Old Tom, remained untouched and is still in use today.
Captain Morgan – Before he became the world’s best shamer, Captain Henry Morgan was a Privateer working for the British crown and operating out of Jamaica. He terrorized Spanish towns in Panama and Cuba in the 1660’s and 70’s and gained a reputation as one of the bravest and fiercest fighters around. He was eventually knighted and retired as one of the most successful pirates in history. He died at age 53 of dropsie, but another theory has pinpointed liver failure from heavy drinking as the cause of death. Captain Morgan rum was founded in 1944 and named after the old pirate.

And since you’re all going to wonder why I didn’t include it on the list, Budweiser is simply named after a town in the Czech Republic called České Budějovice which, when translated into German, becomes “Budweis.”

See More
Like this Article
URL Close
Streeter Seidell

Streeter Seidell

View Profile
Recent Articles
More
uPick
Work Sucks Awful work stories See All »
Up +14 Down
Admiral D!ck

I use to work at a Military Rec. Center in the boat rental. The rules were easy 1.first come first serve, 2.rank does not matter, 3.and have a military id, will travel; they could rent boats and go fishing or partying. 6 months prior to graduating boot camp a group of marines reserved the "party barge" (BIG a$$ pontoon) this also happened to be Memorial Weekend.... Read More » Soo, the fresh little newbie's have loaded up the party barge with beer and what not and this Navy Admiral walks up without reservations and orders them to "Disembark and relinquish" the boat. All the new marines snap to attention and start unloading. The admiral than orders them to leave there fishing equipment and beer to save him time and expense. Seeing this I walk up and inform the Admiral "no reservations, no boat, your sol." Admiral orders to see my boss (I am the boss) and say "go to the big white house in DC and file your complaint there" Admiral "What's your name and rank! I'll have you marshaled!" Me "my name is ___" having no rank because I'm a civilian I stick my butt out and while pointing to my posterior "my rank is kiss this." Mr. Admiral d!ck wad storms off mumbling something about MPs and I help the marines out of the dock and with them a happy party. I do so love p!ssing of military officers.