Skull and Bones Cow Bourbon T-Shirt

Not available in stores

The history of bourbon is filled with the legends and myths that are as part of the pour as the whiskey itself. Here's our tale for this Skull and Bones Cow T-Shirt.

Have you ever wondered why bourbon has to be aged in charred new oak barrels?

Grab your favorite juice and pull up a chair.

John Smith was the everyman of America, married to the everywoman Mary; together they put down stakes somewhere in Kentucky. A small farm. Cattle, chickens, corn. It was hard going and got even worse in the winter of 1850. A fire.

There are no surviving records.

So we have to (tongue in cheek) make some of this up. They had a cow, whose milk made some fantastic White Russians cocktails. John always told Mary that it would be a dream to distill an American drink, a whiskey that used as the main grain, corn. Their farm had a lot of corn, and they could never sell enough before it spoiled. Turning the crop into whiskey was the solution, to store their assets.

But the fire. It is said that a cow in the barn kicked a lantern onto the hay. Everything was charred, including the new oak barrels John and Mary had purchased from the general store last winter.

What do we have left, Mary crestfallen, asked her husband.

“Our love,” John offered, forgetting for a moment that he was married to a woman who had seen a few things and wasn't looking for poetry.

Thinking again he followed up with: "We got corn, charred new oak barrels, and the skull and bones of the cow who kicked the lantern."

Even though there are no surviving records, we can imagine -- we know -- that Mary said this:

"We got the grain, the aging process, and the brand."

And Skull and Bones Cow Bourbon T-Shirt was born, in the burned-down, erstwhile  remains of John and Mary Jones' farm, somewhere in Kentucky.

Also found in the remains, and lovingly preserved, was the fabric that made this t-shirt in their memory. Beautifully distressed, to say the least. 

None of this may be true, a myth, a legend like all the others that give bourbon the history, no different than the tasting notes of the whiskey itself.

So grab this tee, and be a part of this legend. The t-shirt will last a long time because, well -- see below. It's a damn fine tee. Very well-made. And will last longer than a bottle of your favorite juice.

The Vintage Look

The shirt has a unique distressed, vintage look; cool, subtle, like washed in a creek. Like maybe it's seen a few things. The fabric remains the highest quality (see below).

The T-shirt

Our tees are the highest quality you will find. 100% combed and ring-spun cotton by Bella Canvas, a USA-based company. Feels soft and lightweight, with the right amount of stretch. It's comfortable and very flattering for both men and women.

Free Shipping -- Please allow from 7 to 14 days for shipping. 

• 100% combed and ring-spun cotton (Heather colors contain polyester)
• Ash color is 99% combed and ring-spun cotton, 1% polyester
• Heather colors are 52% combed and ring-spun cotton, 48% polyester
• Athletic and Black Heather are 90% combed and ring-spun cotton, 10% polyester
• Heather Prism colors are 99% combed and ring-spun cotton, 1% polyester
• Fabric weight: 4.2 oz (142 g/m2)
• Pre-shrunk fabric
• Side-seamed construction
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping

Size guide