John Ollenburg, Partner
As one might expect, the history of bourbon is a little sketchy. Many important dates are disputed.
1783-Samuels Family Tradition Begins. The Samuels family claims the title of oldest bourbon family still going strong. Prior to 1840 the Samuels family did not produce bourbon commercially. It wasn't until T.W. Samuels (grandson to Robert Samuels who created the "secret" family recipe) came along and constructed a distillery at Samuels Depot, Kentucky that the family made a business of bourbon. In 1943, after a break during Prohibition, Bill Samuels Sr. burned that famous family recipe. Bill Sr. wanted to create a bourbon without the bitterness, and so he did: Maker's Mark.
1783-First Commercial Distillery in Kentucky. Evan Williams opened his distillery on the banks of the Ohio River in Louisville. It was the first commercial distillery in Kentucky.
1785-Bourbon County, Kentucky is established. The stories are unclear as to how the whiskey distilled in the Kentucky area came to be named "bourbon." Current day Bourbon County has little significance in the production of bourbon whiskey; instead, most production is concentrated in the Louisville, Frankfurt and Bardstown areas.
1789-Elijah Craig. It's been said that Elijah Craig invented bourbon by aging the already popular corn whiskey, or moonshine. This is a disputed fact, as many believe that bourbon was not invented, but instead evolved with many hands in the barrel, so to speak, such as those who emigrated from Pennsylvania because of the Whiskey Excise Tax. It is a fact that in 1789 Elijah Craig, Baptist minister, opened a distillery in Georgetown, Kentucky. Heaven Hill Distillery produces a bourbon named after the "inventor" of bourbon.
1794-Whiskey Rebellion. Farmers, primarily in western Pennsylvania, protest against the 1791 Whiskey Excise Tax. President Washington called up 13,000 militia to deal with the rebels, but the band disperse before any conflicts. These events encouraged Kentucky and Tennessee distillers, who were not subject to the federal law at the time. The Whiskey Rebellion was the first real test of the federal government's ability to enforce laws.
1795-The Beam Tradition Begins. The Beam family has one of the best known names in American whiskey. The man that started what would be a family legacy, which is now on its 7th generation, was Jacob Beam who sold his first barrel of "Old Jake Beam Sour" in 1795.
1823-Sour Mash Developed. Dr. James C. Crow developed what is known as sour mash at the Pepper Distillery (now the Woodford Reserve Distillery). This method of recycling some yeast for the next fermentation revolutionized the way most bourbons and Tennessee whiskies have been produced since.
1840-Its Officially "Bourbon". Although bourbon whiskey had been distilled in the Old Bourbon County area for decades, it was not until 1840 that it officially became known as Bourbon. Prior to this it was often labeled "Bourbon County Whiskey" or "Old Bourbon County Whiskey."
1861-1865-The Civil War. The Civil War caused a shortage of whiskey. Major Benjamin Blanton, who before the war hit it big in the California Gold Rush and owned a large portion of downtown Denver, Colorado, sold everything to buy Confederate War Bonds. Those bonds were worthless after the fall of the South, leaving Blanton broke. Shortly after he opened a distillery in Kentucky (later the Stagg Distillery), producing Blanton's Bourbon Whiskey.
1869-Ripy Family Distillery Opens. Lawrenceburg, Kentucky is home to what was originally called the Ripy Family Distillery, and what is now Wild Turkey Hill. The Ripy's began a long tradition of bourbon production on the site and their whiskey was chosen from a list of 400 bourbons to represent Kentucky at the 1893 World's Fair. The distillery is now the home of Wild Turkey Bourbon.
1870-Shipping Revolution. It was in this year that the first jugs of bourbon were shipped from the Ohio River ports. The decision to bottle bourbon was a matter of convenience for the consumer as jugs were a more attractive and portable vessel than barrels.
1872-A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery Established. It was not until the early 1900's that the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery becomes significant in bourbon whiskey's history. Julian P. Van Winkle, Sr., or "Pappy," and a partner acquired the distillery, which was known for its excellent sour mash whiskey. Just before Prohibition Pappy began producing Old Rip Van Winkle Bourbon and he later became oldest active distiller at age 89. During the country's dry period the Stitzel-Weller Distillery held one of the few licenses to produce medicinal whiskey and when the country was once again wet, they produced brands like Old Fitzgerald, Cabin Still and Rebel Yell. It was not until 1972 that Pappy's son, J.P. Van Winkle, Jr., resurrected the original Old Rip Van Winkle brand, which lives on today.
1920-1933-U.S. Prohibition. The majority of bourbon distilleries were closed, many to never reopen, but a few, like the Samuels and Beam families, came back after the repeal of Prohibition and resurrected the craft of bourbon distilling. The government issued 10 licenses to produce whiskey for medicine during the time, only six of which were ever activated. One of those companies was Brown-Forman, who now produces Woodford Reserve Bourbon on the site of the Prohibition era distillery.
1964-"America's Native Spirit". An act of Congress declared bourbon as "America's Native Spirit" and the country's official distilled spirit. At this time the current regulations defining what can be called bourbon whiskey were established.
1973-Outshined by Vodka. For the first time in history, more vodka was sold in the United States than whiskey.
2004-American Whiskey Trail Launches.
2007-National Bourbon Heritage Month. In August, 2007 the United States Senate declared that September be recognized as National Bourbon Heritage Month. The designation is designed to celebrate "America's Native Spirit" and the significant historical, economical and industrial role the bourbon industry has played in the country's history.
Bourbon Whiskey Regulations:
• Bourbon must be made from at least 51% corn mash. Other grains used to round out the mash bill include rye, barley and wheat.
• Bourbon must be a product of the United States.
• Bourbon must be distilled at no higher than 160 proof.
• Bourbon must be stored (aged) at no more than 125 proof in new charred oak barrels.
• Bourbon must be bottled at no less than 80 proof, with nothing added except pure water.
• Bourbon aged for a minimum of 2 years may be called “Straight Bourbon.”