SoFAB Institute Names Laird & Company to National Culinary Heritage Register
SoFAB is excited to announce that Laird & Company, makers of Laird’s AppleJack, is the next listing on the SoFAB National Culinary Heritage Register. The SoFAB National Culinary Heritage Register is a list of culinary products, processes, inventions, traditions, and establishments that are at least sixty years old and that have contributed significantly to the development of American foodways.The first and only register of its kind, the National Culinary Heritage Register is an initiative designed to explore and preserve the complex history of food and beverage in America.
Founded in 1780, Laird & Company first and foremost is the distiller of Laird’s AppleJack, and more recently an importer of wines and spirits. Laird was America’s first commercial distillery, with License #1. For over 300 years, the art of producing AppleJack has been passed down through generations of the Laird Family.Today the company is run by the eighth and ninth generations of the Laird family. As America’s oldest native distilled spirit, Laird’s Applejack was an integral product during the growth of our country. It gave sustenance to our forefathers during the colonial period and the birth of our nation. Laird’s Applejack and Laird & Company survived the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, both World Wars and Prohibition. From the advent of the cocktail to its current rebirth, Laird’s Applejack has been a favorite ingredient. For over 300 years, it has remained part of the fabric of our nation and the American cocktail culture.
Join SoFAB and Vice President Lisa Laird Dunn at 11 AM on Saturday, July 19 at the SoFAB Culinary Library and Archive (1609 Oretha C. Haley Blvd, New Orleans, LA) for the Culinary Heritage Register Certificate Ceremony. Celebrations will include a taste of a special AppleJack Welcome Punch created by MOTAC Advisory Board members Julian Cox and Josh Goldman.
Food and beverage practices not only play a major role in America’s cultural identity, but they also offer valuable insights into the country’s past and present environment, economy, and social structures.Thus, understanding when, where, and how American food and beverage practices have developed allows for a more complete understanding of America’s culture and history. Mapping the origins and development of America’s complex culinary traditions is a daunting task, and as of yet, there has been no concerted effort to do so. By creating the Culinary Heritage Register, the SoFAB Institute hopes to begin the important process of recording America’s extensive and flavorful foodways.
More information about the register and an application form can be found at http://sofabinstitute.org/
posted by: Eric Fujimori
7/24/14
