73-559: Old Fitzgerald is a brand of wheated bourbon distilled in Louisville, Kentucky , by Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. Old Fitzgerald was first produced in 1870 for rail and steamship lines and private clubs located primarily in the south by John E. Fitzgerald in Frankfort, Kentucky . Around 1900, "Old Fitz" was released to the public in America and Europe. It was one of the few distilled using
146-452: A distillery . This last enterprise led to his subsequent dubious reputation as the inventor of bourbon whiskey. Craig has sometimes been claimed to have been the first to age the distillation in charred oak casks, "a process that gives the bourbon its brownish color and unique taste". Craig built his distillery in what was then Fayette County . The location later became part of Woodford County in 1789, and then Scott County in 1792. It
219-588: A "charming legend". By 1785, when Bourbon County was formed, dozens (if not hundreds) of small farmer-distillers west of the Alleghenies made corn-based whiskies, which they called 'bourbon', to distinguish them from the rye-based whiskies commonly distilled in the East. No historical evidence indicates that Craig's whiskey was unique in its time, nor that he practiced charring of the aging barrels. The first known publication potentially alluding to Craig as bourbon's inventor
292-512: A 100-day "distillers' holiday" to replenish the medicinal stock. After the end of Prohibition at the federal level in late 1933, it continued in various places at the state , county and local level, and liquor sales are still prohibited or restricted in many jurisdictions in Kentucky, the primary bourbon-producing state (and in Tennessee as well, where Tennessee whiskey is made). Production
365-516: A current major producer), Frankfort Distillery (including the George T. Stagg distillery now called the Buffalo Trace Distillery and owned by Sazerac ), James Thompson and Brothers (later called Glenmore Distillery , now owned by Sazerac), and Schenley Distillery (now owned by Guinness ). Prescriptions were required to buy medicinal whiskey. In 1928 or 1929 when stocks ran out, there was
438-449: A large scale to extract bourbon from its used barrels, mixing the extract with a 6-year-old Beam bourbon to create a 90-proof product that it sells as "Devil's Cut". The bottling operation for bourbon is the process of filtering, mixing together straight whiskey from different barrels (sometimes from different distilleries), diluting with water, blending with other ingredients (if producing blended bourbon), and filling containers to produce
511-465: A new container of charred oak . This distinctive American liquor was heavily consumed by Americans in the 1990s. In 1964, Americans consumed around 77 million gallons of bourbon. Bourbon has been distilled since the 18th century. As of 2014 , distillers' wholesale market revenue for bourbon sold within the U.S. was about $ 2.7 billion, and bourbon made up about two thirds of the $ 1.6 billion of U.S. exports of distilled spirits. According to
584-451: A particular age duration is often the goal, as over-aging bourbons can negatively affect the flavor of the bourbon (making it taste woody, bitter, or unbalanced). After maturing, bourbon is withdrawn from the barrel and is typically filtered and diluted with water. It is then bottled at no less than 80 US proof (40% abv). Although most bourbon whiskey is sold at 80 proof, bourbon can be bottled much higher. All " bottled in bond " bourbon
657-507: A process that gives bourbon its brownish color and distinctive taste. In Bourbon County , across the county line from Craig's distillery in what was then Fayette County , an early distiller named Jacob Spears has been named as the first to label his product as Bourbon whiskey. Although still popular and often repeated, the Craig legend is apocryphal . Similarly, the Spears story is a local favorite but
730-413: A quarter for each scholar. One half to be paid in cash, the other half in produce at cash prices. There will be a vacation of a month in the spring, and another in the fall, at the close of each of which it is expected that such payments as are due in cash will be made. For diet, washing and house room for a year, each scholar pays £3 in cash, or 500 weight of pork on entrance, and £3 cash on the beginning of
803-612: A small distillery opened – a period of 95 years. Prohibition devastated the bourbon industry. With the ratification of the 18th amendment in 1919, all distilleries were forced to stop operating. Six companies were granted permits to bottle medicinal whiskey from existing stocks: A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery (later called the Stitzel–Weller Distillery ), American Medicinal Spirits (producer of Old Crow and Old Grand-Dad , sold in 1929 to National Distillers , now owned by Suntory Global Spirits ), Brown-Forman (still
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#1732892159675876-571: A superior taste because it was shipped in barrels, using water transport wherever practical. To test this theory, Jefferson's cofounder Trey Zoeller sent two barrels of the company's signature product to New York City via barge, first down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and then along the Intracoastal Waterway . As a control, he brought a batch of the same whiskey that had remained in Louisville during
949-477: A town originally called Lebanon, which was incorporated in 1784. (In 1790 the town was renamed Georgetown in honor of Gen. George Washington.) Craig preached at several churches with John Waller. In 1786 Craig became pastor of the Great Crossing Church, which they had founded the previous year. Joseph Redding succeeded Craig in 1793 after a controversy concerning some of Craig's economic activities, and
1022-508: A traditional alembic (or pot still ) or the much less expensive continuous still . Most modern bourbons are initially run off using a column still and then redistilled in a "doubler" (alternatively known as a "thumper" or "retort") that is basically a pot still. The resulting clear spirit, called "white dog", is placed in charred new oak containers for aging. In practice, these containers are generally barrels made from American white oak . The spirit gains its color and much of its flavor from
1095-483: Is MGP of Indiana , which primarily wholesales its spirits products to bottling companies that sell them under about 50 different brand names – in some cases, misleadingly marketed as "craft" whiskey, despite being produced at a large wholesaler's factory. To be legally sold as bourbon, the whiskey's mash bill requires a minimum of 51% corn, with the remainder being any cereal grain. A proposed change to U.S. regulations will expand allowable "grains" to include seeds of
1168-412: Is straight bourbon, which has a minimum aging requirement of two years. In addition, any bourbon aged less than four years must include an age statement on its label. Bourbon that meets the above requirements, has been aged for a minimum of two years, and does not have added coloring, flavoring, or other spirits may be – but is not required to be – called straight bourbon. Bottled in bond bourbon
1241-453: Is 100 proof. Some higher-proof bottlings are marketed as " barrel proof " or "cask strength", meaning they have not been diluted or have been only slightly diluted (less than 1% ABV dilution) after removal from the barrels. Bourbon whiskey may be sold at less than 80 proof but must be labeled as "diluted bourbon". A very small number of bourbon bottlings have been released with exceptionally high proof, sometimes exceeding 140 proof (70% ABV). In
1314-580: Is a barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn (maize). The name derives from the French House of Bourbon , although the precise source of inspiration is uncertain; contenders include Bourbon County, Kentucky , and Bourbon Street in New Orleans , both of which are named after the House of Bourbon. The name bourbon might not have been used until the 1850s, and the association with Bourbon County
1387-406: Is a sub-category of straight bourbon that must be produced by a single distiller at a single distillery in a single season, aged at least four years in a bonded warehouse under federal control, and bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV). Bourbon that is labeled blended (or as a blend ) may contain added coloring, flavoring, and other spirits, such as un-aged neutral grain spirits, but at least 51% of
1460-529: Is also known as spent beer, distillers' spent grain , stillage, and slop or feed mash, so named because it is used as animal feed. The acid introduced when using the sour mash controls the growth of bacteria that could taint the whiskey and creates a proper pH balance for the yeast to work. Although many distilleries operated in Bourbon County historically, no distilleries operated there between 1919, when Prohibition began in Kentucky, and late 2014, when
1533-502: Is an optional ingredient in several pie recipes traditional to American cuisine , including pumpkin pie , where it can be combined with brown sugar and pecans to make a sweet and crunchy topping for the creamy pumpkin pie filling. It can also be used as a flavoring in sauces for savory dishes like grit cakes with country ham served with bourbon mayonnaise , Kentucky bourbon chili , and grilled flank steak . Elijah Craig Elijah Craig (November 15, 1738 – May 18, 1808)
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#17328921596751606-568: Is hereby given that on Monday, 28 January next, a school will be opened by Messrs. Jones and Worley, at the Royal Spring in Lebanon Town, Fayette County , where a commodious house, sufficient to contain fifty or sixty scholars, will be prepared. They will teach the Latin and Greek languages , together with such branches of the sciences as are usually taught in public seminaries, at twenty five shillings
1679-479: Is home to other major bourbon makers, although most prefer to call their product " Tennessee whiskey " instead, including giant Jack Daniel's . It is legally defined under Tennessee House Bill 1084, the North American Free Trade Agreement and at least one other international trade agreement as the recognized name for a straight bourbon whiskey produced in Tennessee. It is also required to meet
1752-417: Is prescribed – only that the product has been "stored at not more than 62.5% alcohol by volume (125 proof) in charred new oak containers". Bourbons gain more color and flavor the longer they age in wood. Changes to the spirit also occur due to evaporation and chemical processes such as oxidation . Lower-priced bourbons tend to be aged relatively briefly. Even for higher-priced bourbons, "maturity" rather than
1825-498: Is rarely repeated outside the county. There likely was no single "inventor" of bourbon, which developed into its present form in the late 19th century. Essentially, any type of grain can be used to make whiskey, and the practice of aging whiskey and charring the barrels for better flavor had been known in Europe for centuries. The late date of the Bourbon County etymology has led historian Michael Veach to dispute its authenticity. He proposes
1898-504: Is the norm. They may not be reused for bourbon, and most are sold to distilleries in Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Mexico, and the Caribbean for aging other spirits. Some are employed in the manufacture of various barrel-aged products, including amateur and professionally brewed bourbon barrel-aged beer , barbecue sauce, wine, hot sauce, and others. Since 2011, Jim Beam has employed barrel rinsing on
1971-579: The Allegheny Mountains . The college continues today. Craig became a businessman and local magnate . He built Kentucky's first fulling mill (for cloth manufacturing), its first paper mill , its first ropewalk (for manufacturing rope from hemp), and the first lumber and gristmill at Georgetown. Craig played a major role in forming the Georgetown Fire Department and also served as Fire Chief. In approximately 1789, Craig founded
2044-527: The Angel's share during aging. Although only the focus of special attention for bourbon since the mid-2010s, very-high-proof products are not especially novel in general, as evidenced by the well-known Bacardi 151 brand of rum , which was available on the U.S. and Canadian markets from about 1963 until 2016 and was bottled at 75.5% ABV. After processing, barrels remain saturated with up to 10 U.S. gallons (38 liters) of bourbon, although 2–3 U.S. gallons (8–11 liters)
2117-542: The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States , in 2018 U.S. distillers derived $ 3.6 billion in revenue from bourbon and Tennessee whiskey (a closely related spirit produced in the state of Tennessee ). Distilling was most likely brought to present-day Kentucky in the late 18th century by Scots, Scots-Irish , and other settlers (including English, Irish, Welsh, German, and French) who began to farm
2190-569: The James River . Although Virginia had adopted the principle of freedom of religion in its Declaration of Rights in 1776 and again in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1786, Baptists still faced persecution during the early statehood period, particularly when they preached to mixed congregations of freemen and slaves, white and black. In these years, Baptists encouraged planters to free their slaves; and numerous slaves were freed in
2263-560: The Manhattan , the Old Fashioned , the whiskey sour , and the mint julep . Bourbon is also used in cooking , and it was historically used for medicinal purposes. Bourbon can be used in a variety of confections such as a banana bourbon syrup for waffles , a flavoring for chocolate cake , and fruit-based desserts like grilled peach sundaes served with salted bourbon- caramel or brown sugar shortcake with warmed bourbon peaches . It
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2336-494: The caramelized sugars and vanillins in the charred wood. Straight bourbon must be aged at least two years, and blended bourbon must contain at least 51% straight bourbon on a proof gallon basis (i.e., most of the alcohol in the blend must be from straight bourbon). The remainder of the spirits in a blended bourbon may be neutral grain spirits that are not aged at all. If a product is labeled merely as bourbon whiskey rather than straight or blended, no specific minimum aging period
2409-469: The pot still method, and continued to do so until around 1913. During the Prohibition in the United States , Old Fitzgerald was one of a select few to distill under government supervision for the national medicinal trade, it was soon after acquired by Pappy Van Winkle for $ 10,000 who then introduced the "Whisper of Wheat" to the original recipe. By substituting some wheat for the more traditional rye in
2482-486: The 1964 resolution did not contain such a statement; it declared bourbon to be a distinctive product identifiable with the U.S. (in a similar way that Scotch is considered identifiable with Scotland). The resolution was passed again in 2008. As of 2018 , 95% of all bourbon is produced in Kentucky, according to the Kentucky Distillers' Association. As of 2018 , there were 68 whiskey distilleries in Kentucky, this
2555-590: The Kentucky Bourbon Festival organizers who have registered the phrase as a trademark . The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is the name of a tourism promotion program organized by the Kentucky Distillers' Association that is aimed at attracting visitors to the distilleries in Kentucky, particularly Four Roses ( Lawrenceburg ), Heaven Hill ( Bardstown ), Jim Beam ( Clermont ), Maker's Mark ( Loretto ), Town Branch ( Lexington ), Wild Turkey ( Lawrenceburg ), and Woodford Reserve ( Versailles ). Tennessee
2628-915: The Revolutionary War. Ultimately, religious freedom became protected in Virginia by statute (and the Anglican Church was disestablished, i.e. lost government financial support), as well as in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Baptist membership grew, particularly among common planters with smaller holdings of land and slaves. Seeking religious freedom and economic opportunity, in 1781 Elijah's brother Rev. Lewis Craig led an exodus of up to 600 people known as " The Travelling Church " (composed of his parents, younger siblings, and most of his congregation from Spotsylvania County ) to
2701-404: The U.S. Congress declared bourbon whiskey as a "distinctive product of the United States" by concurrent resolution. Bourbon may be produced anywhere in the U.S. where it is legal to distill spirits, but most brands are produced in Kentucky, where bourbon production has a strong historical association. The filtering of iron-free water through the high concentrations of limestone that are unique to
2774-749: The U.S. following the law of the country. However, in other countries, products labeled bourbon may not adhere to the same standards. For example, U.S.-produced products with somewhat lower alcohol content than the level required in the United States can be sold in Australia as bourbon, with Cougar Bourbon being an example of an export-only brand produced in the U.S. for the Australia market. The Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits, codified under 27 CFR §5 Subpart I states that bourbon made for U.S. consumption must be: Bourbon has no minimum specified duration for its aging period. Products aged for as little as three months are sold as bourbon. The exception
2847-492: The U.S. may be labeled bourbon or sold as bourbon inside the U.S. Various other countries have trade agreements with the U.S. to recognize bourbon as a distinctive product of the U.S., including Canada and Mexico, the United Kingdom, Chile, and Brazil. A 2016 experiment by Louisville craft distiller Jefferson's Bourbon suggests that in the era before whiskey was routinely bottled at the distillery, Kentucky bourbon developed
2920-503: The U.S., generating almost $ 2.7 billion in wholesale distillery revenue. U.S. exports of bourbon whiskey surpassed $ 1 billion for the first time in 2013; distillers hailed the rise of a "golden age of Kentucky bourbon" and predicted further growth. In 2014, it was estimated that U.S. bourbon whiskey exports surpassed $ 1 billion, making up the majority of the U.S. total of $ 1.6 billion in spirits exports. Major export markets for U.S. spirits are, in descending order: Canada,
2993-581: The United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and France. The largest percentage increases in U.S. exports were, in descending order: Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Israel, and United Arab Emirates. Key elements of growth in the markets showing the largest increases have been changes of law, trade agreements, and reductions of tariffs, as well as increased consumer demand for premium-category spirits. Bourbon's legal definition varies somewhat from country to country, but many trade agreements require that
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3066-650: The Upper South during the first two decades after the Revolution. As more Baptists began to accept the institution of slavery, many of those who opposed slavery began to move west, often to the area that would later become Kentucky. Craig became politically active as the legislative liaison of the general convention and general association to Virginia's legislature as well as the ratification convention of 1788. As such, he worked with Patrick Henry and James Madison to protect religious freedom federally and in Virginia after
3139-420: The area in earnest. The origin of bourbon as a distinct form of whiskey is not well documented and there are many conflicting legends and claims. For example, the invention of bourbon is often attributed to Elijah Craig , a Baptist minister and distiller credited with many Kentucky firsts (e.g., fulling mill , paper mill , ropewalk ) who is said to have been the first to age the product in charred oak casks,
3212-468: The area is often touted by bourbon distillers in Kentucky as a signature step in the bourbon-making process. On August 2, 2007, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution sponsored by Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) officially declaring September 2007 to be National Bourbon Heritage Month , commemorating the history of bourbon whiskey. Notably, the resolution claimed that Congress had declared bourbon to be "America's Native Spirit" in its 1964 resolution. However,
3285-470: The area of Virginia known as Kentucky County (they were the largest single group to so migrate). Elijah Craig did not go with this group but followed a few years later. In 1782 (just after the Revolutionary War), Elijah Craig led the immigration of his congregation from Orange Co., VA, and purchased 1,000 acres (4.0 km ) in what was then Fayette County of Kentucky, where he planned and laid out
3358-446: The barge trip led to a dramatic improvement in smoothness and taste. Chemical analysis of the two samples revealed significant differences in molecular profiles, with the sample transported by water having a greater diversity of aromatic compounds. Bourbon is served in a variety of manners, including neat ; diluted with water; over ice ("on the rocks"); with cola or other beverages in simple mixed drinks; and in cocktails – including
3431-491: The bourbon brand Elijah Craig produced by Heaven Hill Distilleries . Elijah Craig bourbon whiskey was made in both 12-year-old " Small Batch " and 18-year-old " Single Barrel " bottlings. The former 12-year-old expression has lost the age statement. The 18-Year-Old Single Barrel Bourbon is touted by its producer as "The oldest Single Barrel Bourbon in the world at 18 years ..." made in oak barrels that are "hand selected by Parker and Craig Beam", losing nearly 2 ⁄ 3 of
3504-488: The definition of bourbon for whiskey to only include spirits produced in the U.S. In recent years, bourbon and Tennessee whiskey , which is sometimes regarded as a different type of spirit but generally meets the legal requirements to be called bourbon, have enjoyed significant growth in popularity. The industry trade group Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) tracks sales of bourbon and Tennessee whiskey together. According to DISCUS, during 2009–2014,
3577-571: The expulsion of Craig and his party. In 1795 Craig was among the 35 founding members of McConnell's Church, near McConnells Run (that later moved and became known as Stamping Ground Baptist Church). Both churches were part of the Elkhorn Association of Baptist churches. Elijah Craig was active in education, establishing the first classical school in Kentucky in 1787. His advertisement in The Kentucky Gazette read: Education. Notice
3650-441: The final product that is marketed to consumers. By itself, the phrase "bottled by" means only that. Only if the bottler operates the distillery that produced the whiskey may "distilled by" be added to the label. Labeling requirements for bourbon and other alcoholic beverages (including the requirements for what is allowed to be called bourbon under U.S. law) are defined in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. No whiskey made outside
3723-628: The first counties they founded covered vast regions. One of these original, huge counties was Bourbon, established in 1785 and named after the French royal family . While this vast county was being carved into many smaller ones, early in the 19th century, many people continued to call the region Old Bourbon . Located within Old Bourbon was the principal port on the Ohio River , Maysville, Kentucky , from which whiskey and other products were shipped. "Old Bourbon"
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#17328921596753796-655: The grain recipe, Old Fitzgerald presented a rounder, softer profile than other bourbons. Old Fitzgerald was produced at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery until the distillery was shut down in 1992 and production transferred to Diageo 's newly constructed Bernheim Distillery in Louisville. In 1999, Diageo sold the brand, along with the Bernheim Distillery, to Heaven Hill , which currently produces and markets Old Fitzgerald. Bourbon whiskey Bourbon whiskey ( / b ɜːr b ən / ) (or simply bourbon )
3869-535: The legal definition of bourbon under Canadian law. Although some Tennessee whiskey makers maintain that a pre-aging filtration through chunks of maple charcoal, known as the Lincoln County Process and legally mandated since 2013, make its flavor distinct from bourbon, U.S. regulations defining bourbon neither require nor prohibit its use. Bourbon also was and is made in other U.S. states. The largest bourbon distiller outside of Kentucky and Tennessee
3942-484: The mid-2010s, some sources began referring to these as "hazmat" bourbons, alluding to the ban in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations on air travel passengers and crew members carrying such high-proof beverages due to their highly flammable nature. Such high proof levels are very uncommon even among "barrel proof" bourbons, as bourbon must enter the barrel at no higher than 125 proof and thus can only reach higher concentrations by disproportionate evaporation of water in
4015-483: The modern counties. It included the current Bourbon County in Kentucky, which became a county when Kentucky separated from Virginia as a new state in 1792. Numerous newspaper articles reference whiskey from Bourbon County, Kentucky dating as far back as 1824. According to the whiskey writer Charles K. Cowdery, When American pioneers pushed west of the Allegheny Mountains following the American Revolution ,
4088-431: The name "bourbon" be reserved for products made in the U.S. The U.S. regulations for labeling and advertising bourbon apply only to products made for consumption within the U.S.; they do not apply to distilled spirits made for export. Canadian law requires products labeled bourbon to be made in the U.S. and also to conform to the requirements that apply within the U.S. The European Union also requires bourbon to be made in
4161-540: The new congregation, including himself. His older brother Lewis and younger brother Joseph Craig also became Baptist preachers. In 1768 Lewis was imprisoned with John Waller , James Childs, James Reed and William Marsh in the Fredericksburg jail for several weeks, for preaching without licenses from the established Anglican Church. In 1771 Elijah Craig was ordained and became the pastor of Blue Run church, halfway between Barboursville and Liberty Mills, Virginia . He
4234-467: The product must be straight bourbon. "High rye bourbon" is not a legally defined term but usually means a bourbon with 20–35% rye in its mash bill . High-wheat or "wheated" bourbons are described as more mild and subdued compared to high-rye varieties. Bourbon that has been aged for less than three years cannot legally be referred to as whiskey (or whisky) in the European Union . On May 4, 1964,
4307-424: The pseudocereals amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa. A mash bill that contains wheat instead of rye produces what is known as a wheated bourbon. The grain is ground and mixed with water. Usually mash from a previous distillation is added to ensure consistency across batches, creating a sour mash. Finally, yeast is added, and the mash is fermented . It is distilled to (typically) between 65% and 80% alcohol using either
4380-422: The same period. According to Popular Mechanics writer Jacqueline Detwiler-George, who documented the test, the sample that made the waterborne journey "was mature beyond its age, richer, with new flavors of tobacco, vanilla, caramel, and honey. It was some of the best bourbon any of us had ever drunk." It was theorized that the action of gentle sloshing of the whiskey in barrels for a period of 2 to 4 weeks during
4453-486: The third quarter. It is desired that, as many as can, would furnish themselves with beds; such as cannot may be provided for here, to the number of eight or ten boys, at 35s a year for each bed. ELIJAH CRAIG. LEBANON, December 27, 1787. The school was later linked to the Rittenhouse Academy, which Craig founded in 1798. Elijah Craig also donated land for Georgetown College , the first Baptist college founded west of
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#17328921596754526-430: The volume of 9-liter cases of whiskey increased by 28.5% overall. Higher-end bourbon and whiskeys experienced the greatest growth. Gross supplier revenues (including federal excise tax ) for U.S. bourbon and Tennessee whiskey increased by 46.7% over the 2009–2014 period, with the greatest growth coming from high-end products. In 2014, more than 19 million nine-liter cases of bourbon and Tennessee whiskey were sold in
4599-469: The whiskey was named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans , a major port where shipments of Kentucky whiskey sold well as a cheaper alternative to French cognac . Another proposed origin of the name is the association with the geographic area known as Old Bourbon , consisting of the original Bourbon County in Virginia organized in 1785. This region included much of today's Eastern Kentucky, including 34 of
4672-479: Was also jailed in Orange and Culpeper counties at least twice for preaching without the required Virginia license from the Anglican Church. Such preachers were considered a challenge to the entire social order of the colony, as the established state church received funding from the colony. In 1774, the convention of independent Baptists designated Elijah Craig and John Waller as apostles (missionaries) to evangelize north of
4745-640: Was an American Baptist preacher , who became an educator and capitalist entrepreneur in the area of Virginia that later became the state of Kentucky . He has sometimes, although rather dubiously, been credited with the invention of bourbon whiskey . Craig was born in Orange County, Virginia in 1738, the 5th child of Polly Hawkins and Taliaferro or Toliver Craig, Sr. Converted by Baptist David Thomas in 1764, Elijah Craig soon began holding meetings in his tobacco barn. In 1766, he convinced David Read to travel from North Carolina to baptize members of
4818-564: Was in 1874 (this includes a brief entry in a densely packed list without mentioning Craig himself or providing any documentation of the claim, and without any elaboration as to what distinguished the product as the first bourbon). Craig continued to prosper, eventually owning more than 4,000 acres (16 km ) and enough slaves to cultivate it, and operating a retail store in Frankfort . He died in Georgetown in 1808. John Taylor wrote of him in A History of Ten Baptist Churches , "His preaching
4891-537: Was never in Bourbon County , as some have claimed. As it happened, both Fayette County and Bourbon County were named in honor of the noted Revolutionary War Gen. Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette , a French aristocrat of the royal House of Bourbon . American whiskey authority Charles Kendrick Cowdery believes Craig was making exactly the same kind of whiskey as most of his contemporaries, and historian Henry Crowgey calls his reputed invention of bourbon simply
4964-488: Was not evident until the 1870s. Although bourbon may be made anywhere in the U.S, it is strongly associated with the Southern United States , particularly Kentucky . One reason for this strong association is the romanticized advertising of bourbon as a product of Kentucky with rural, Southern origins in the 90s. There is a common misconception that bourbon can only be distilled in Kentucky. Even though bourbon
5037-595: Was of the most solemn style; his appearance as of a man who had just come from the dead; of a delicate habit, a thin visage, large eyes and mouth; the sweet melody of his voice, both in preaching and singing, bore all down before it." The Kentucky Gazette eulogized Craig as follows, "He possessed a mind extremely active and, as his whole property was expended in attempts to carry his plans to execution, he consequently died poor. If virtue consists in being useful to our fellow citizens, perhaps there were few more virtuous men than Mr. Craig." Craig may be most widely known by
5110-635: Was shut down completely again in 1941 to reserve production capacity for making industrial alcohol during World War II . A concurrent resolution adopted by the United States Congress in 1964 declared bourbon to be a "distinctive product of the United States" and asked "the appropriate agencies of the United States Government ... [to] take appropriate action to prohibit importation into the United States of whiskey designated as 'Bourbon Whiskey'." A U.S. federal regulation now restricts
5183-403: Was stencilled on the barrels to indicate their port of origin. Old Bourbon whiskey was different because it was the first corn whiskey most people had ever tasted. In time, bourbon became the name for any corn-based whiskey. A refinement often dubiously credited to James C. Crow is the sour mash process, which conditions each new fermentation with some amount of spent mash. Spent mash
5256-464: Was strongly associated with the South, it was also a symbol of urbanization and sophistication due to a large percentage of consumers belonging to the middle- to upper-class, including business and community leaders. Bourbon was recognized in 1964 by the U.S. Congress as a "distinctive product of the United States". Bourbon sold in the U.S. must be produced within the U.S. from at least 51% corn and stored in
5329-519: Was up 250 percent in the past ten years. At that time, the state had more than 8.1 million barrels of bourbon that were aging – a number that greatly exceeds the state's population of about 4.3 million. Bardstown, Kentucky , is home to the annual Bourbon Festival held each September. It has been called the "Bourbon Capital of the World" by the Bardstown Tourism Commission and
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