Description:

WHISKY vs BRANDY IN THE COLONY of VICTORIA:

Feb.1857 entire letter from Dublin (SG.66 x2 & SG.45 x2) to Robert George Haig at King Street, Melbourne. Sent by John Jameson, at the Bow Street Distillery and received in Melbourne in May of that year. The letter, between two important personalities in the Irish Whisky world includes the observation that Jameson is "sorry to observe you have not yet sold any of the whisky......The high price to which Brandy is likely to go will cause an increase in demand for whisky." He continues, "...if we had any spare whisky I would make you a shipment but our demand at present in this market is so great that we are unable to meet it...."

An interesting insight into the state of the spirits market during the Gold Rush years in Melbourne. On his marriage to Margaret Haig in 1786, Scotsman, John Jameson, moved with his new wife to Dublin to manage the Stein's Bow Street Distillery (which had been established in 1780).