Doc Holliday Straight Bourbon

The bottle is undeniably eye-catching: fonts that conjure the rugged charm of the Wild West, a six-shooter cylinder cap that screams gunslinger, a gold bull skull emblem that adds a touch of authenticity, and that iconic quote from Val Kilmer in Tombstone, “I’m your Huckleberry.”

Every detail of Doc Holliday Straight Bourbon Whiskey seems meticulously designed to capture the legendary aura of one of the West’s most enigmatic figures. It’s a masterclass in branding, evoking the grit and allure of frontier life in a way that feels both nostalgic and bold. But there’s one glaring issue: the picture on the label isn’t Doc Holliday.

On the left, John Henry \"Doc\" Holliday. On the right, not Doc.

A Case (or at least a Bottle) of Mistaken Identity

The image on the bottle, often misidentified, has been mistakenly circulated as John Henry Holliday for decades. It appears to be a retouched version of a photograph reportedly taken by Tombstone photographer C.S. Fly, possibly depicting another man present in the silver boomtown during the infamous O.K. Corral era. At some point—long before Photoshop—the image was altered to add the iconic cowlick now associated with Doc.

On the left, Not Doc Holliday. On the right, not Doc with a cowlick.

However, historians and experts have debunked its authenticity, pointing out that the man in the photo doesn’t match the verified images of Holliday, and no one in Doc's family ever had copies of these images. Though his image has become mistakenly associated with the Wild West gambler, gunslinger, and dentist, the true identity of the man in this picture remains a mystery, but one fact is clear: it’s not Doc.

The Real Doc Holliday: A Legend of the Old West

John Henry Holliday was born on August 14, 1851, in Griffin, Georgia. A brilliant yet sickly child, Doc contracted tuberculosis early in life. Despite his illness, he excelled academically and graduated from the Pennsylvania School of Dentistry at just 20 years old. However, his worsening symptoms made practicing dentistry back home in the humid South untenable, prompting him to head west, where doctors told him the dry air would alleviate the disease.

Authenticated with provenance, this photo is John Henry Holliday at his graduation from the Pennsylvania School of Dentistry at the age of 20. 1872

Doc's persistent coughing, often accompanied by blood, made his dental patients understandably uneasy, prompting him to leave dentistry behind. Moving west marked a turning point in his life. In towns like Dallas, Dodge City, and eventually Tombstone, he abandoned his dental tools for a deck of cards. Gambling, a profession with surprising respectability in frontier saloons, became his livelihood. Over time, Doc built a reputation as a masterful card player, a deadly marksman, and a man you didn’t want to cross.

Doc Holliday’s fame skyrocketed after the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in 1881. The fight, which lasted only about 30 seconds, pitted Doc and his friends Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp against the Clanton and McLaury factions. Though the incident left three men dead and made national headlines, Doc’s role in the shootout cemented his place in Wild West lore. Stories of his quick draw, his loyalty to Wyatt Earp, and his unpredictable temper turned him into one of the Old West's most memorable figures.

Left: Alice McKey Holliday & son John Henry Holliday, Circa 1852. Credit: Doc Holliday: The Life &Legend by Gary Roberts. Right: John Henry & cousin Robert Alexander Holliday. Photo credit: Doc Holliday, A Family Portrait by Karen Holliday Tanner.

The other authentic image of Doc as an adult was taken in September 1879 in Prescott, Arizona. The image was taken shortly after Holliday accompanied his friend Wyatt Earp to Prescott, to answer for an earlier incident in Las Vegas, New Mexico Territory.

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Earlier that year, Doc had been involved in the killing of "No Nose" Mike Gordon, a local troublemaker who had been on a drunken rampage. Gordon had fired shots outside Holliday's saloon and allegedly threatened Doc’s life before Holliday shot him in what a coroner’s jury eventually deemed “excusable homicide.”

Las Vegas, New Mexico, 1879. Holliday’s Saloon is the fourth building from the right.

Although no charges were filed, the incident made staying in Las Vegas untenable for Holliday, so he joined Wyatt Earp on his journey west. This photo, likely taken during their brief stop in Prescott, shows Holliday dressed formally in a long coat, a reflection of his Southern roots and his pride in maintaining a gentlemanly appearance despite his dangerous and tumultuous lifestyle. It remains a powerful window into the enigmatic man behind the legend.

Doc Holliday, like Texas Jack Omohundro a few years earlier, spent time in Leadville, Colorado, the highest elevation city in America, nestled over 10,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains. Both men sought the dry mountain air to ease the symptoms of tuberculosis, the disease that ultimately claimed Jack’s life a month shy of his 34th birthday. Doc’s time in Leadville was marked by a combination of gambling, drinking, and declining health. He remained in the mining town for a few years, scraping by on winnings from faro and poker, but his deteriorating condition and worsening bouts of coughing made it increasingly difficult for him to support himself.

In 1884, while living in Leadville and struggling with declining health and financial difficulties, Doc had a dispute with Billy Allen, a bartender and former lawman. Allen had lent Holliday $5 to cover a tab, and when Holliday was unable to repay it, Allen threatened him. The situation escalated when Allen publicly confronted Holliday, reportedly stating he would “beat the life out of him.”

Doc, anticipating violence, armed himself. On August 19, 1884, when Allen entered Hyman’s Saloon, Doc shot at him from a seated position. One bullet struck Allen in the arm, and another hit his hip, causing non-lethal injuries. Doc was arrested and charged with attempted murder, but he claimed self-defense. During his trial, his lawyer emphasized Doc’s frail health and the serious threats Allen had made against him. A jury ultimately acquitted Holliday, and he returned to his usual routine of gambling in Leadville’s saloons.

Leadville Daily Herald, March 29, 1885

This incident was one of the last documented acts of violence involving Doc Holliday and underscores the precarious and often dangerous nature of his life in the Old West. It also highlights how even in his declining years, Doc’s reputation and quick trigger finger continued to precede him. Eventually, in search of a better climate and new opportunities, Doc left Leadville for Glenwood Springs, where he hoped the mineral hot springs might provide relief.

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Tragically, the move marked the final chapter of his life. Tuberculosis continued to ravage his health, and by the time he died in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, on November 8, 1887, he was only 36. His last reported words—“This is funny”—reflect the sharp wit and fatalism or gallows humor that characterized his life.

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Doc Holliday in Popular Culture

Despite his brief life, Doc Holliday’s legend looms large in American pop culture. From the dime novels of the late 19th century to blockbuster films and TV shows, Doc is remembered as a complex antihero: brilliant, deadly, loyal, and haunted by the specter of his own mortality. He has been portrayed by some of the world's finest actors, like Victor Mature in My Darling Clementine, Kirk Douglas in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral opposite the masterful Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp, Jason Robards in Hour of the Gun, Stacy Keach in Doc, and Dennis Quaid in Kevin Costner's Wyatt Earp. Dennis's brother Randy, perhaps best known as Uncle Eddie of National Lampoon's Vacation fame, played Doc in the TV movie Purgatory.

Left to right, top to bottom: Dennis Quaid, Kirk Douglas, Victor Mature, Randy Quaid, Stacy Keach, and Jason Robards, all as Doc.

The 1993 film Tombstone helped introduce Doc Holliday to a new generation. Val Kilmer’s portrayal of Doc as a sardonic, terminally ill gunslinger was widely acclaimed and remains one of the most celebrated performances in Western cinema. Kilmer’s delivery of lines like “I’m your huckleberry” and “You’re a daisy if you do” contributed to the resurgence of interest in the real-life figure. The fact that Kilmer wasn’t given an Oscar for his performance is considered by many to be one of the most glaring oversights in Academy Award history.

Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday in Tombstone

In literature, Doc Holliday has appeared in historical novels, biographies, and even speculative fiction, further mythologizing his life. His intelligence, gambler's charm, and tragic circumstances make him a compelling character, one who resonates with themes of loyalty, mortality, and redemption.

Misrepresentation in Modern Merchandise

Unfortunately, with Doc’s fame comes misrepresentation. Doc Holliday Bourbon isn’t the only offender in perpetuating historical inaccuracies. In Glenwood Springs, Colorado—where Holliday died and is buried—the so-called Doc Holliday Museum (housed beneath Bullock’s Western Wear) sells t-shirts featuring the image of another man: John Escapule.

Doc's name with John Escapule's face.

Escapule, a French immigrant who lived in Tombstone during the same period as Doc Holliday, is sometimes misidentified as the gunfighter. However, his photo shows a healthy, robust man—strikingly different from the thin, gaunt figure of Doc, who was battling the advanced stages of tuberculosis at the time. Escapule also left his impact on the lore of Tombstone. Land he donated from earnings on his "State of Maine" silver mine was used to make the town's cemetery, and his great-grandson, Dusty Escapule, is the current mayor of Tombstone.

John Escapule

This issue is not new. Misidentified photos have a way of sticking around, gaining traction through repetition. Once a picture becomes associated with a famous figure, it becomes part of public consciousness. Correcting these inaccuracies is a slow process, as the myth often proves more enticing than the truth.

Why Doc Holliday’s Legacy Matters

Doc Holliday’s enduring appeal is rooted in the contradictions of his life. A genteel Southern dentist turned gambler and gunslinger, he embodied the tension between civilization and frontier lawlessness. His loyalty to Wyatt Earp, despite their starkly different personalities, speaks to a code of honor that resonates in tales of the Old West.

Yet Doc’s story also highlights the harsh realities of the frontier: a life shortened by illness, friendships forged in bloodshed, and the struggle to make sense of a rapidly changing world. He wasn’t the larger-than-life hero Hollywood often depicts, but a man whose flaws and vulnerabilities made him relatable.

Honoring Doc Holliday’s true legacy means preserving the facts, including his image. Whether on bourbon bottles, t-shirts, or museum exhibits, representations of Holliday should reflect the real man, not a fabrication of marketing or mistaken identity.

So next time you see a photo of “Doc Holliday,” take a closer look. Is it the man himself, or just another ghost from the Wild West? Separating fact from fiction is an essential step in keeping history alive—and authentic. And if the good folks at the World Whiskey Society, who make a fine bourbon that I imagine Doc would have been proud to see his name on, want to take a step towards historical accuracy, I did them the favor of fixing their bottle.

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I’m trying to come up with a good understanding of the clothing and equipment that a man in the 1870s would’ve had while riding a horse through the Rocky Mountains.

Can anyone point me towards a good online photograph collection that would be useful? Ideally, I’d like to find pictures of people actually out on the trail, not the studio portraits that people posed for.

Any suggested reading, websites or books, that gets into the details of clothing and equipment of this era?

Hello! I’m writing a fanfic for a ship and it’s a wild west AU, and I was wondering if yall know of any terms of endearment, attraction, compliments, words for beauty, etc etc? Thanks in advance!

Edit : I'm tired and might, or might not, edit this further later.

This is an exploration into the world of old west jewelry, which is a unique subset of Victorian era jewelry that arose from multiple ethnic and religious traditions, and we'll take a speculative look at pinky rings and the Sicilian mafia.

People have always loved pretty objects, from the time of Neaderthalic grave beads to the gold monopoly of the Egyptian pharaohs. Our old west icons were not different, but exactly what jewelry was defined as does quite match up with what we imagine jewelry today. Today jewelry is pretty narrowly defined as set objects on fixed locations in the body, but in the old west jewelry could be rightfully extended into the objects one carried, and those which were earned.

The single greatest mechanical invention of mankind is the screw cutting lathe (I have one, his name is Mr. Spinny) of the 1700s, from which all modern mechanical devices are either derived or made. Just as the lathe gave birth to the gun industry, it's child, the sewing machine, gave us "ready-to-wear" mass produced clothing. Technological advances exploded in the US during the 1800s, and with this came affordable jewelry in standard sizes (ei. ring sizes) and reproducable patterns.

• Rings : In my research, I was shocked by the void of rings in photos, especially of men. The earliest printed mention I could find of class rings was in 1887, for the claim of a West Point military academy ring from the civil war - over 20 years before, with no claims before this. Of all the photos of Union officers I have seen, only two wore rings (Gen. Grant and Col. Robert Shaw), being wedding rings - in the form of simple gold pinkie rings. A few Confederates wore wedding bands in the modern fashion, being the ring finger (Gen. John Bell Hood). As a rule, men didn't wear rings to any degree outside of the occasional simple wedding band. It's possible the newspaper story was only a story and the ring was a much later invention than assumed. Women were only marginally more ornate, but ringless hands were still the rule. The sole historical figure I found who loved jeweled rings and multiple rings was Texican General Sam Houston, who kept his dictator slapping hand strong. But when things really picked up for rings was the 1880s with...
• Pinky Rings (and the mafia) : Pinky rings were know since ancient Egypt in the form of signet rings. With no government photo ID, signet rings functioned as royal IDs. The royal seal (no cut gems) was carved into as stone and acted as a wax stamp. The wearing of pinky ring was universal amongst the nobility, but it was isolated to only Europeans and the Ottoman empire. Only one Japanese guy I could find (Emperor Yoshohito) wore one, and it was probably because he was obsessed with France. Occassionally Americans who viewed themselves as transplanted cousins of the European nobles wore them. Only two presidents (both the Rosevelts) wore signet rings). But the pinky ring would expand into the masses with the rise of the tourism enabled by railroads... and there's where things get murky. As crowns fell after the French revolution, nobles lost their lands, but often kept their titles, even if they had no legal teeth. Germany had dozens of Kingdoms, and very liberal heraldry laws. Britain was more strict, and France was not having any of that. As for how pimps and hookers came to be known with pinky rings?... well, did you know King Edward VII had a special chair at his favorite brothel that he designed so he could make love to two people at once? A mystery to us all... When it comes to the mafia, things become more murky and based around supposition. With the unification of Italy came the land ownership of the masses. In Sicily the nobles were famously neglectful, and towns (or larger businessmen) hired or created private law enforcement to find criminals and settle disputes. Just as in the west, the best man to catch a criminal often was a criminal. As the Republic consolidated power and authority into central powers, these hired and armed groups found new ways to make money, such as smuggling goods with local protection ensured by profit sharing with cops, and shunning of larger authorites and taxes. Thus, the mafia was born, and had cousin groups in other Italian states. These associates were the new "government within the government", and they parroted the habits of nobility - hence the mafia pinky ring. Later on, American mobsters or all backgrounds took to the idea of the pinky ring. Despite being the same industry, the mob and the mafia are not the same thing. A cultural, historical, and demographic stew created the modern pinky ring. It wasn't a clear or linear evolution.
• Military medals : the US military had basically 0 large scale issuance of awards until the civil war, when the MOH (Medal of Honor) and the US Navy good conduct medal were issued in small amounts. The Confederate state of Texas made only about 18 medals for one occassion. Military authorities considered medals as too close to European customs and anti-American. As a rule, the majority of medals of the time came in two forms - association medals, and commemorative medals. Associations were always divided by rank. Officers clubs never allowed enlistedmen, and their medals showed that with fancy handwork and precious metals. The two officers clubs relevant to the old west were the Aztec club of 1847, and the MOLLUS (Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. Their big fancy colored crosses mimiced European chivalric order badges, and they are still legal to wear on US military uniforms to this day if you're a member. Federal enlistedmen had the GAR medal (Grand Army of the Republic), which looked so much like the medal of honor that the . and Confederates of all ranks could be gifted, but never apply for, the Southern Cross of Honor in 1893. General purpose campaign medals wouldn't exist in the US until the early 1900s. Commemorative medals were not military issued medals, but were privately minted decorations, often given as gifts, and to mark individual battles they were involved in, or for veterans reunions. If a soldier had a chest full of medals, most were private comemmoratives.
• Fraternal order badges : fraternal orders were HUGE in the Victorian era, as they offered financial backing for ones family in a time when insurance was a product for the rich, and offered only by large banks. Groups like the Knights of Pythias are still around to this day, although they are moreso charity and social/drinking clubs rather than insurance providers. Joining an order was a big deal, as it was the only way many men could provide for their families in old age or sickness. Sears and Roebuck offered an extensive collection of fraternal regalia ranging from watch fobs to lapel pins, but the order could also commission custom or limited run pieces. The Pythians even offered swords. Womens auxillaries such as the Pythian sisters, and Ottoman themed private clubs like the DOKKIES (the fez wearing Dramatic Order of the Knights of Korassan) also offered the Victorian equivalent to patreon merch.
• Blinged weapons : the Napoleonic invasion and the scimitar, the congressional gold swords, commission and gifted swords, the sheffield knife, the bowie knives of Raison Bowie, nickeled guns and fancy grips.
• Native American jewelery and trade goods : Each tribe is different, but there's general trends. Beads, peace medals, the gorget.
• Cowboy jewelry (the Sombrero galon, the hat band, and the bolo tie)
• walking sticks, and swagger sticks : before the car and modern road paving killed them, walking sticks were a necessary tool that became fancy later on. Townsmen and farmers, as opposed to herdsmen and mounted professionals, normally had one. The most famous example was the stick owned by Bat Masterson. The stick was so universal that there was even a martial art designed around their use. Men might use "gadget sticks" so hold anything from liquor to compasses to tobacco.
• Tie rings, tie tacks : the tie ring is a unique item of the Victorian era, most famously worn by King Edward.
• Coins as Jewelery : Although often considered tacky today, coins were legitimate media for jewelry production in the 1800s. No one did this bigger or better than the artisans of northern Africa and Palestine with Ottoman coinage and with the Maria Teresa thaler. An odd twist who see brave soldiers granted cash awards, with those soldiers wearing their awards on their uniforms. These were the first military medals, and official stamped medals would replicate dollar/thaler/sovereign sized coins forever more. Most people in America were poor, working class, worked in agriculture, and "money" was often in the form of credit, or livestock, and not as actual currency. Money in log books was often in a record of debts, and credits of goods rather than actual coins and notes. It was also common for people to be paid in a fake private currency known as script, which was good only at stores owned by the same company that paid the worthless notes. Such was also the case in Mexico with "hacienda coins". Real silver and gold coins were prized and hoarded much of the time. Rare coins like the 1849 gold collar, and the French minted Jefferson David "Confederate dime" were sapped up by jewelers as soon as they came out of the mints. With a working man's pay being about 90 cents a day, for a gold dollar for be used as jewelry would be the rough equivalent of an ounce of silver used as a medallion.
• watches, chains, fobs : the privately owned timepiece is a very new idea. A pocket watch
• tobacco based : Cigar cases, cigarette cases, match boxes, cigar cutters, pipe tampers - it was all fodder for the jeweler's bench.
• La Peineta (the Spanish comb) : Perhaps the most famous and universal article of women's finery in the Spanish speaking world (and the Philippines)
• broaches, and glass cameos : although most associated with the Georgian and Regency periods, the cameo
• Stones : The star of Victorian era gemstones was a tie between the red queen and the green king - the emerald and the ruby. To a slightly lesser extent was the colorless diamond, and to a slightly lesser extent were the other two that rounded out the "big five" of the pretty rock world : saphires, and amethyst. To give you an idea of how mig emeralds were, Queen Victoria had commissioned a tiara of massive emeralds, with diamonds as only side pretties. In an American context, there was a newspaperman in the Dakotas who loved Ottoman imagery, and who would wrap emeralds into the first real global phenomenon of children's literature - that man was L. Frank Baum, the author of the Wonderful World of Oz (and like 14 Oz books, maker of 2 or 3 Oz silent movies - shit was huge). And in the land of Oz stands the glimmering magical capitol, the Emerald City. But desire didn't always translate to what sold. Everything's pretty until you see the price tag. Rhinestones (aka pastes) were the gem of the masses. Being either sparkling leaded glass or rock quartz, rhinestones made the major share of the jewelry market stones The Barre Daily Times (July 18th 1918) mentions olivine and peridot (both forms of chrysolite) as being just discovered in Canada, but having little market share. The Bridgerton Pioneer (August 2nd 1900) says turquiose combined with diamonds in tiara was in vogue, and amethyst in ladies broaches was popular. Mens rings were set with central fire opals, with olivine (note the date discrepancy). Tourmaline, amber, and citrine were also know, but I can't get a picture of their popularity.

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A devastating cowgirl comes of age on the wild frontier.

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Jeannie Morgan, the fastest gun west of the Mississippi, is a charismatic pants-wearing cowgirl who is also a magnificent lover to both men and women. As she navigates the unforgiving frontier, she must confront her own identity and desires, all while facing down deadly confrontations and personal tragedies. Will she find happiness or will her her tomboy beauty, her powerful persona and her lethal gun finally be the death of her?

#cowgirl #western #oldwest

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https://www.amazon.com/Go-West-Girl-gripping-cowgirls-ebook/dp/B0C9YT6DVR/

So my first question is:Was John Wesley Hardin genuinely really good with a gun or are his stories fabricated?

My second question is:Was curly Bill brocious good with a gun? Apparently could shoot a nickle between two fingers?

My third question is:Who was the most feared gunslinger of the Wild West?

My fourth and final is:Do you guys really think Pat Garret killed the kid?

Might be a silly question but i'm from where Buffalo Bill was born and I was thinking about getting a tattoo in honor of my town. I was hoping to tie in Buffalo Bill in some way because they make it a pretty big point but I would only do so if he was a decent human, From the research I've done it seems pretty wishy washy and I can't trust what my bias town says LOL

https://jo-b-creative.blogspot.com/2024/10/alias-jeannie-delaney-trilogy.html?m=1

#cowgirl #western #oldwest

I have been reading a lot about Tom Horn and, was his drunken boasting at what he supposed to be a job interview the nail in the coffin? Was it just change in views of what could be used in court the main reason his 1990s 'retrial' found him innocent... I read that a bunch of big cattlemen paid, what I believe to be, a huge sum for his defense but I'm not positive. I've also heard the theories that the cattlemen somehow sabotaged his defense or didn't do as well as they should have because Tom Horn did so much dirty work for them that they took it as a way to silence him... is there any truth to that? From my limited research, he was quite a braggart and may have screwed himself over on the stand but thats just what i assume from reading about him and his nickname among the natives... also heard someone testified that he was 20-30mi away from the scene within an hour of the murder, then he gets on the stand and boasts that he can ride that distance in an hour or less... makes me think, him being long dead by the time the modern trial found him innocent may have worked in his favor... anyone have more details on his trial or theories about it?

hi, history nerd here! anyone else super duper obsessed w the lewis & clark expedition??? im currently hyperfixated on it (and have been for nearly two years now) and havent found many other people who also have an interest in the expedition and the people in it. would love to chat!!