On Whiskey, Fires, and Firemen

There is an old saying that "Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting". While this quote has been attributed to Mark Twain, historians so far have been unable to find any hard evidence linking the observation to him.

​Regardless, this saying came to mind when learning about the large fire at the American Distilling Company in north Sausalito on May 4, 1963. Caused by faulty wiring, the fire destroyed over 1,500 barrels of bourbon, scotch, gin, vodka, and tequila. While we have started our history page on this fire, we are seeking more information from firemen who responded to the blaze, both from Sausalito and other FD's on mutual aid. We'll also eventually cover another large fire at the same location in 1916, when the business was called Mason Distillery, founded in 1880.