A HISTORY AS SPIRITED AS BOURBON ITSELF
THE BIRTH OF BOURBON.
In the late 1700s, the U.S. government began offering settlers incentives to move west and grow corn. Among these farmers was Jacob Beam who, like others, used his father’s whiskey recipe to distill his excess corn into a new, sweeter kind of whiskey — bourbon was born.
Did you know?
JUST ’CAUSE IT’S WHISKEY DOESN’T MEAN IT’S BOURBON.
Bourbon is kind of like whiskey’s “sweet spot”—it needs to be at least 51% corn.
THE BIRTH OF BOURBON.
In the late 1700s, the U.S. government began offering settlers incentives to move west and grow corn. Among these farmers was Jacob Beam who, like others, used his father’s whiskey recipe to distill his excess corn into a new, sweeter kind of whiskey — bourbon was born.
Did you know?
JUST ’CAUSE IT’S WHISKEY DOESN’T MEAN IT’S BOURBON.
Bourbon is kind of like whiskey’s “sweet spot”—it needs to be at least 51% corn.
FROM CORN FARMER TO MASTER DISTILLER.
Jacob Beam sold his first barrel of Old Jake Beam Sour Mash in 1795. His bourbon quickly became a local favourite-no small accomplishment considering that, by the early 1800s, Kentucky was home to about 2,000 distillers.
IF SOMETHING AIN’T RIGHT, BURN IT.
With the arrival of trains and steamboats, distillers could now ship their bourbon out to increase sales. But without enough barrels to go around, distillers began putting their bourbon in used fish and vinegar barrels. Luckily, they soon found that burning the insides of those barrels removed the unpleasant smell. This is how distillers originally began using charred-oak barrels.
Did you know?
AGED AT LEAST TWO YEARS.
Here at Jim Beam, we always age our bourbon for at least 4 years—that’s twice as long as the law requires—for a more mature, extra-mellow flavor.
FROM CORN FARMER TO MASTER DISTILLER.
Jacob Beam sold his first barrel of Old Jake Beam Sour Mash in 1795. His bourbon quickly became a local favourite-no small accomplishment considering that, by the early 1800s, Kentucky was home to about 2,000 distillers.
IF SOMETHING AIN’T RIGHT, BURN IT.
With the arrival of trains and steamboats, distillers could now ship their bourbon out to increase sales. But without enough barrels to go around, distillers began putting their bourbon in used fish and vinegar barrels. Luckily, they soon found that burning the insides of those barrels removed the unpleasant smell. This is how distillers originally began using charred-oak barrels.
Did you know?
AGED AT LEAST TWO YEARS.
Here at Jim Beam, we always age our bourbon for at least 4 years—that’s twice as long as the law requires—for a more mature, extra-mellow flavor.
BY ALL MEANS, CALL IT A COMEBACK.
For the 13 years of Prohibition, Jim Beam was forced to give up his life’s work. But when Prohibition was finally repealed in 1933, Jim Beam rebuilt his entire distillery in just 120 days. And in 1954, Jim Beam Distilling Company would open a second distillery to meet the growing demand for bourbon.
BRING ON THE WORLD.
Not wanting any of his countrymen to be without bourbon, T. Jeremiah “Jere” Beam began shipping cases of Jim Beam to American servicemen stationed overseas. Though he didn’t know it yet, this would introduce Jim Beam to the globe, setting the stage for it to become the world’s best-selling bourbon under his watch.
FROM BEAM TO NOE
A quick backstory: Jim Beam’s daughter Margaret married into the Noe family during Prohibition. Her son, Frederick Booker Noe II, was dubbed Master Distiller, at the Boston, KY distillery in 1960, when bourbon was in the midst of a downturn. Refusing to give in, Frederick Booker Noe II revitalized the bourbon category with a streak of small-batch innovations: Booker’s®, Baker’s®, Basil Hayden’s® and Knob Creek®.
Did you know?
AGED AT LEAST TWO YEARS.
Here at Jim Beam, we always age our bourbon for at least 4 years—that’s twice as long as the law requires—for a more mature, extra-mellow flavor.
STOCKING THE LIQUOR CABINET.
Just like his father, our current Master Distiller, Frederick Booker Noe III has a penchant for innovation. In 2009, he released Red Stag by Jim Beam®.and threw open the gates to a new realm of bourbon-inspired possibilities. Building off the success of Red Stag, Fred released Jim Beam® Devil’s Cut®, Jim Beam® Apple and Jim Beam® Double Oak.
Needless to say, Fred has been busy. But he isn’t done yet. To this day, he continues to cement Jim Beam’s place in history as both a pioneer and a classic.
ONCE A PIONEER. ALWAYS A PIONEER.
As the First Family of Bourbon, we were there when it all began. But we’ve never been the type to rest on our laurels. Always innovating, always taking bourbon to new heights—this is the Jim Beam way.
Did you know?
BOURBON IS ALL-AMERICAN.
In 1964, under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration, Congress declared bourbon “America’s native spirit.”
Did you know?
BOURBON IS ALL-AMERICAN.
In 1964, under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration, Congress declared bourbon “America’s native spirit.”