Ulysses S. Grant's Alleged Favorite Bourbon Brand Was One You Might Not Know

Ulysses S. Grant is one of those figures who's taken on a legendary status in American history — he was skillful enough as a Union Army leader during the Civil War that he's beloved despite his lackluster go as the 18th U.S. president afterward. Many historical sources also suggest that he won his war victories despite having a drinking habit. During the 19th century, bourbon was made differently, but Old Crow bourbon does still exist in modern-day liquor stores, and Grant was a noted fan.

During the Civil War, there were tense arguments when President Abraham Lincoln was asked to remove Grant from his post for various reasons, including after the brutal and casualty-heavy Battle of Shiloh in 1862 and because of Grant's alcoholism on the battlefield. Lincoln always defended the general, insisting that Grant was an effective fighter. Though historians debate this story's accuracy, when Lincoln was supposedly told that Grant had a whiskey habit, the president responded by saying, "You just find out, to oblige me, what brand of whiskey Grant drinks because I want to send a barrel of it to each one of my generals" (via The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors). Grant's drink of choice was a Kentucky bourbon whiskey called Old Crow.

Most bourbon comes from Kentucky, where American whiskey distillers began making grain spirits from over 50% corn (the grain makeup is one of the main distinctions between bourbon and whiskey). Old Crow is one of the earliest known bourbons: It was invented in the 1830s by the Scottish chemist James E. Crow, who had moved to Kentucky a decade earlier and put his knowledge to work in a distillery. Crow perfected what's known as the sour mash process, which involves using leftover fermented grains from a bourbon batch to create the next batch. It helps keep the bourbon's flavor stable across multiple batches, and rather than tasting sour, it can add a sweet flavor.

Nowadays, the Old Crow brand is owned by the same company that makes Jim Beam, another common sour mash bourbon. The Old Crow brand likes to promote its famous fans from history, and they include not only former President Ulysses S. Grant but also American author Mark Twain as drinkers of Old Crow. It's unlikely that pouring out a glass of modern Old Crow would get you the exact same flavors that Grant tasted. Still, this lightly aged amber bourbon with a strong smell but a lighter taste works perfectly if you're looking to make the best old-fashioned cocktail you've ever had.