Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The greater of the two Madisons

Today is the birthday of James Madison (1749-1812), first post-Revolutionary War president of the College of William and Mary and the first bishop of the Episcopal Church in Virginia.

Though his more famous cousin--primary author of the Constitution and fourth President of the United States--shared his name and many contemporaries, the professor, college president, and bishop earned a reputation as a careful leader, a clear thinker, and an avid devotee of rye whiskey.

Huzzah! Long live Bishop Madison!

8 comments:

Greg Smoak said...

Will you be sure to alert us to the birthday of Franklin Pierce's second cousin on his wife's side as well?

A rye-drinker said...

Oh, my friend. So learned, but so much to learn. Bishop Madison is an important guy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Madison_(Episcopal_Bishop)

And besides, I get to be as idiosyncratic as I want. It's a blog!

DrDaRyL said...

A Dark Lutheran singing the praises of a High Episcopalian (no matter how patriotically full of rye) dances on the edge of heresy. As for that other Jimmy Madison: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/10/AR2007061001404.html

Greg Smoak said...

Hmm, so a wikipedia page equals importance?

How about this one?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brittany_spears

A rye-drinker said...

drdaryl: Bishop Madison was a low-church man, like so many Anglicans in Virginia.

gregory e: Bishop Madison kept my alma mater alive through tough times.

ccdemuth said...

As relevant today as the day our country was founded.

“We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves ... according to the Ten Commandments of God.”

- Bishop James Madison, The greater of the two Madisons

Unknown said...

I have heard wonderful things about Pikesville Supreme Straight Rye Whiskey. (But, I do have difficulty locating it.)

I located it in Maryland. When my niece was buying the Pikesville Rye for me, she found that it was only a 3 year old. Just a month ago, the same MD retail store had the 4 year old Pikesville Rye. Has the producer, Heaven Hill, changed the product?

What is the difference in taste between the two ages?

Thank you.

Unknown said...

I am a huge fan of Russell's Reserve Rye, 6 year old. It has a wonderful complexity, peppery taste, and long lasting finish in the mouth.

Truly a Rye not to be missed.