Whiskey Rebellion were the government's primary source of revenue, had been raised as high as feasible. He therefore promoted passage of an excise tax on domestically produced distilled spirits. This was to be the first tax levied by the national government on a domestic product. Whiskey was by far the most popular distilled beverage in late 18th-century America, so the excise became known as the "whiskey tax." Taxes were politically unpopular, and Hamilton believed that the whiskey excise was a luxury tax and would be the least objectionable tax that the government could levy. In this, he had the support of some
Whiskey thief for tasting. This same tool can be used for sampling other distilled spirits or wine from large vessels, hence it can also be used as a "wine thief". Newer models may be made of clear plastic or glass with the larger models having the capability of accepting a hydrometer for testing purposes. Whiskey thief A whiskey thief is a tool that master distillers use to extract small portions of whiskey from an aging barrel for sampling or quality control. The old-fashioned ones are made typically of copper and resemble a drinking straw in design. It has a coned narrow hole