[Tallguy]

That's the way it was taught to me. There was a shortage of hard currency to begin with. More so on the frontier. Whiskey was not only a commodity. On the frontier it was currency. If you were going to head to Carlisle, PA to buy provisions, what would you want to do: lead a wagon train of heavy grain through the Alleghenys or a single cart or 2 of distilled whiskey (a by-product of your grain)? That is an easy logistical problem to answer.

[wideawake]

Precisely right.

It had the added benefit of avoiding sales taxes as well, until the tax law was passed.