My arm is still broken and in plaster. Hence some more random statistics. Still have to post every day, no matter what the state of my limbs.
Let's start with wine. Two countries in the table imported all of their wine: the UK and Canada. A situation that I know is no longer true. Especially in the case of Canada. Honestly, I'm shocked that it produced no wine in the 19th century. Especially with all the French speakers.
Moving on to beer, where imports were fairly insignificant in every one of the countries listed. Just 0.1% in the case of the UK. Only Canada and Australia imported significant quantities. Beer being a pretty bulky commodity, it does make sense that it wouldn't be moved around that much. Though those imports into Australia had come quite a distance. As the vast majority came from the UK.
Finally, spirits. Where Germany, France and the USA imported bugger all. I'm slightly surprised at the low level of imports in the last of those. I thought the USA imported quite a lot of Irish whiskey and Scotch.
Spirit imports were highest in Australia. I'm guessing that most were coming from the UK. What was made in Australia? Rum? Canada, number 2 importer, I assume was bringing in whisky from the UK and whiskey from Ireland and the USA.
| Home production vs imports of wine, beer and spirits in 1899 | ||||||
| Percentage of Wine | Percentage of Beer | Percentage of Spirits | ||||
| Country | Imported | Home-Made | Imported | Home-Made | Imported | Home-Made |
| United Kingdom | 100 | - | 0.1 | 99.9 | 20 | 80 |
| France | 20 | 80 | 1.2 | 98.8 | 7.5 | 92.5 |
| Germany | 37.8 | 62.2 | 0.8 | 99.2 | 2.1 | 97.9 |
| United States | 15 | 85 | 0.2 | 99.8 | 1.2 | 98.8 |
| Australian Colonies | 6 | 94 | 8 | 92 | 79 | 21 |
| Canada | 100 | - | 8 | 92 | 38.6 | 61.4 |
| Source: | ||||||
| The Brewers' Journal vol. 36 1900, February 15th 1900, page 205. | ||||||
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9 comments:
It's interesting to me that France and Germany had such a high percentage of domestic spirits. I'm curious if that's due to tariffs, because I'd think there would be demand for whiskey, brandy, gin and other spirits from other countries and cost advantages for imports. The US seems a bit less surprising to me, because grain is so cheap and I think the demand for fancy liquor was probably almost all satisfied by bourbon and rye. I could be wrong, though.
French wine grapes didn't grow easily (or not at all) in French Canada's climate. Cloned species and more sophisticated farming have allowed for wine grape growing, mostly in southern Ontario and British Columbia. Some Canadian wine has been produced using imported grapes (see wikipedia).
One of the last distilleries here in Philadelphia sold products branded as "Scotch" and "Irish". It closed in the late 1960's, early 1970's.
Has there been any talk of new distilleries?
Oscar
Partially cultural, they had spirits traditions of their own which many were quite happy with (Kirschwasser, Korn, eau de vie, marc etc). In the 19th century imitation “rum” and “brandy” products appeared consisting of mostly domestic spirit with a little of the imported article blended in.
There are several "boutique" ones that seemed to have started up just before COVID, And there's Philadelphia Distilling makers of Bluecoat American Dry Gin. And Dad's Hat who make rye and bourbon whiskies
I don't think Scotch was a big thing until the 1920s, Irish whiskey being a bigger export (all coming under the UK obvious). But surprising it was so low to the USA at the tail end of the 19th century.
Ireland's whiskey production was hammered by going to war with the rest of the UK in 1919-21, with them being excluded from empire exports. "It'll be OK, we've still got American" thought the Irish distilling industry. Then prohibition...
Thanks for the information.
Oscar
The problem is by the time the First Dáil sat prohibition was all but in force.
Oscar
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