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Hiram Walker Peoria

Unread postPosted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 7:24 pm
by cowdery
I was in Peoria last week and went looking for the old Hiram Walker Distillery there, which is today an ADM plant making ethanol. I'm not sure if it's potable ethanol, fuel ethanol, or both.

It wasn't hard to find, just south of downtown on the west bank of the Illinois River. I couldn't figure out how to get close or even find a place where I could take a good picture. (The opposite side of the river is occupied by a huge Caterpillar complex.)

But it doesn't looks very much different than it did in this picture.

Trying to find river access on the east bank almost got me to Pekin, where there is another still-operating vodka/ethanol distillery, but I don't know its pedigree.

Re: Hiram Walker Peoria

Unread postPosted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:48 pm
by cowdery
Hiram Walker was the last distillery in Illinois making whiskey and it stopped in 1972, or thereabouts, so I've never discovered a bottle of Illinois-made Ten High, or anything else. I have had some McCormick bourbon that says it was distilled in Illinois. I've tasted very little whiskey that I know was made in Illinois and none of it has been good, not even close. When I can I want to research the whiskey business in Illinois, both the distillers in the Peoria area and the Chicago merchants who controlled the business.

Re: Hiram Walker Peoria

Unread postPosted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:55 am
by Kinsey Worker
cowdery wrote:I was in Peoria last week and went looking for the old Hiram Walker Distillery there, which is today an ADM plant making ethanol. I'm not sure if it's potable ethanol, fuel ethanol, or both.

It wasn't hard to find, just south of downtown on the west bank of the Illinois River. I couldn't figure out how to get close or even find a place where I could take a good picture. (The opposite side of the river is occupied by a huge Caterpillar complex.)

But it doesn't looks very much different than it did in this picture.

Trying to find river access on the east bank almost got me to Pekin, where there is another still-operating vodka/ethanol distillery, but I don't know its pedigree.
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That would be the Old American Distillery would it not in Pekin! They were sold and went to Ethanol back in the early 1970's that is when Continental got some of their brands such as Guckenheimer, Stillbrook, Old Colony and others. Now Publicker is gone but the old American is at least still standing and doing something!
Dave

Re: Hiram Walker Peoria

Unread postPosted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 6:44 pm
by cowdery
Kinsey Worker wrote:That would be the Old American Distillery would it not in Pekin! They were sold and went to Ethanol back in the early 1970's that is when Continental got some of their brands such as Guckenheimer, Stillbrook, Old Colony and others. Now Publicker is gone but the old American is at least still standing and doing something!
Dave


That's probably right. Thanks for the information.