OhioBooze Connection

Ohio actually has an indirect connection for coining the term: "booze" in reference to alcoholic or distilled beverages. That link is with Ohio's first presidential son, William Henry Harrison, the 9th President of the United States.

Harrison's presidential campaign in 1840 really introduced many marketing tactics still used in contemporary political campaigns. If you grew up in Ohio, you probably heard the phrase: "Old Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too." This was a phrase the William Harrison's campaign staff put together to remind the public of the importance Harrison played in forming the country. Tyler was Harrison's running mate, and of course, "Old Tippecanoe" references Harrison and the role he played in defeating Chief Tecumseh at the famed battle of Tippecanoe Creek in 1811.

So this was a first: having a presidential campaign slogan. In fact, Harrison's campaign was the first massive campaign in American election history. He used a variety of techniques so people would remember him on election day. They flooded America with cups, plates, flags, and sewing boxes with Old Tippecanoe pictured on them. Another one of those techniques was using buckeyes to associate himself with the Ohio frontier.

Another technique used was handing out whiskey in brown log-cabin shaped bottles produced by the Whitney Glass Company in New Jersey. The distillery that did the bottling was the E. C. Booz distillery. As you can imagine, handing out free whiskey was quite popular and created a big stir. Thus came the term we still use today: "booze!"