Bourbon whiskey has made a surprising contribution to American legal history. Tracking the history of bourbon and bourbon law illuminates the development of the United States as a nation, from conquering the wild frontier to rugged individualism to fostering the entrepreneurial spirit to solidifying itself as a nation of laws. Bourbon is responsible for the growth and maturation of many substantive areas of the law, such as trademark, breach of contract, fraud, governmental regulation and taxation, and consumer protection. In Bourbon Justice Brian Haara delves into the legal history behind one of America¿s most treasured spirits to uncover a past fraught with lawsuits whose outcome, surprisingly perhaps, helped define a nation. Approaching the history of bourbon from a legal standpoint, Haara tells the history of America through the development of commercial laws that guided our nation from an often reckless laissez-faire mentality, through the growing pains of industrialization, and past the overcorrection of Prohibition. More than just true bourbon history, this is part of the American story.

List of Illustrations     Foreword, by Fred Minnick     Preface     Chapter 1. Bourbon History Tells the Story of American History     Chapter 2. American Law Defines Bourbon     Chapter 3. Bourbon Drives the Development of Trademark and Brand Name Rights     Chapter 4. Old Crow Provides the Most Comprehensive Trade Name Case Study     Chapter 5. Bourbon Expands Trade Name Rights     Chapter 6. Bourbon Marketers Write the Book on Puffery and Exaggeration     Chapter 7. Bourbon Leads the Nation to Consumer Protection     Chapter 8. Bourbon Tells the Behind-the-Scenes Story of Prohibition     Chapter 9. Bourbon Law Reins in Fake Distillers and Secret Sourcing     Chapter 10. Bourbon Drives Truth in Labeling     Acknowledgments     Notes     Table of Authorities     Index