2025 Military Edition NOW AVAILABLE
2025 Military Edition NOW AVAILABLE
Cowboy culture is part of the fabric of our Western way of life. In the big scheme of things, whisky is right up there with it. Can you imagine a Western movie without a saloon serving whisky by the glass or bottle? Or a cattle drive without a bottle passed around the fire at the end of a long day?
Would cowboy culture be what it is without whisky? Not a chance. Whisky goes hand in hand with the cowboy lifestyle. After all, it’s not just poured, it’s earned after a hard day’s work and a way to savor the moments and celebrate the milestones wherever and whenever they show up.
In the work-hard-play-hard world of the Western cowboy, whisky is as essential as well-worn boots and a faithful horse. Today, we’ll look at the origin of whisky in cowboy culture and how it’s evolved into what it is today.
Whisky production started in America in the 1700s and was introduced by European immigrants who brought their distillation skills to our shores. Using grains and crops that grew well here, like wheat, rye, corn, and barley, they created a unique product that became so popular among the pioneers that the newly formed US government decided to tax it.
To avoid the tax, most distillers high-tailed it south to Kentucky and Tennessee, where they were beyond the long arm of the law. So, in a sense, whisky has always been associated with outlaws, and that legacy prevailed through prohibition and beyond.
During the gold rush, people moved west, seeking their fortune. Whisky was a constant companion, but the quality wasn’t always what it is today. With nicknames like rotgut, coffin varnish, strychnine, and Mountain Howitzer, you can only imagine how it might have tasted.
But such was life in the Old West. It was that hard-livin’ lifestyle that shaped today’s cowboy culture, and even if there might not be as many bar brawls or daytime scuffles on the main street in town, one thing remains the same: whisky is still a constant every cowboy can count on.
Fortunately, these days, the quality is much more reliable.
In the Wild West, certain saloons gained reputations for having the best whisky around. Cowboys turned those places into destinations and would travel far and wide on horseback just to enjoy it.
Before whisky was regulated, you’d be taking your chances. There were no official regulations for whisky until Roosevelt introduced the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. However, quality-minded whisky distillers had begun to establish standards a few years before.
Although rotgut was still common in many saloons, people eventually began to recognize the difference in quality between it and whisky. Around this time, the town of Pendleton, OR, was established. Pendleton became a thriving railhead town and trading post, with many people coming to work the sheep ranches in the area, allowing the cowboy culture to flourish.
The Pendleton Round-Up was founded in 1910 and continues to be a proud yearly tradition and one of Western history’s most popular and long-running rodeos.
To this day, most of us will go out of our way to enjoy an easy-drinking whisky. Luckily, we don’t have to ride for days over mountain trails just to get a taste—it’s as simple as ordering a bottle online and having it delivered to your door.
But what’s the best way to enjoy Pendleton® Whisky? There’s no easy answer to that question, but we have a few ideas. Neat, on the rocks, or in a cowboy cocktail, you can’t go wrong. Pendleton® Whisky isn’t just poured, it’s earned – a spirit that embodies the cowboy spirit in every sip.
The Original Cowboy: our riff on a whisky sour, served tall.
Cowboy Palmer: add a shot of Pendleton® Whisky into your lemonade & iced tea.
Cowboy Colada: this beachy favorite adds a bit of smoky goodness—you’ll never use rum in your coladas again!
Browse our site for the best cocktail recipes to make with Pendleton® Whisky and drinks for watching the rodeo!
