Bourbon finally began flowing again after a series of mysterious events which had brought the family closer together. There were tragedies that had almost ripped the family apart, postponing the reopening of the family distillery. Shut down for Prohibition, the family did not immediately set out to reopen it when the Volstead Act was repealed in 1933. Just how much participation there was in the illegal market may never be known.Īngels’ Share takes place in the fictitious town of Twisted Tree, Kentucky, so named for two trees grown together in a mangled twist near the Old Sam Distillery where patriarch Sam McFee had hung himself in despair over the ratification of the Volstead Act. Most distilleries and brands will not own up to any illegal activity during Prohibition, while others proudly display photographs of notorious bootlegger George Remus right on the walls of their visitor centers. The story poses the question of how distilling families survived during Prohibition and just what it took for them to take the chance on getting back into the family business. Louisville native James Markert did just that in his historical fiction work, Angels’ Share. The true stories of how distilling families survived this hardship are interesting enough, but have you ever caught yourself wondering about the stories behind the stories? It was a difficult time for everyone for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which were economic. Distilleries were the lifeblood of many communities. There are entire towns in Kentucky, like Tyrone, which were almost completely wiped off the face of the map because of Prohibition. Some are just starting to make a comeback.

Most of the larger distilleries survived Prohibition in one way or another, but some shut down either forever or for many years. Often when you tour a bourbon distillery in Kentucky the subject of Prohibition comes up.

The Angels' Share by James Markert