Brigham Young is most-widely known for leading the pioneers across the plains to Salt Lake City, and declaring in 1847, “This is the right place.” What many may not know, however, is that Brigham Young, along with early pioneers and settlers of the Salt Lake Valley, spent much of their time distilling and selling whiskey, and the first recorded distillery was built in Utah in 1854.
“If you look at the list of required provisions for LDS pioneers heading west, it lists ten gallons of whiskey as an essential provision for new homesteading pioneers,” said historian Brock Cheney. “The prohibition of alcohol by Mormons today is a modern take, mostly post WWII. Valley Tan was present, but wine and hard cider production were much more commonly produced and consumed by the Mormon pioneers.”
While Young discouraged members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from drinking alcohol, he did sanction involvement in the distillery process for medicinal purposes, trade, and sale to non-Mormons…