The Kentucky Distillers and Warehouse Company was formed in 1899 and was incorporated in New Jersey because of its lenient trust laws. Its first president was Julius Kessler. The group was composed of about 60 distilleries and had the belief that greater profits could be made from the distilleries if their number was reduced and overproduction could be curtailed. Kessler purchased many distilleries between 1899 and 1916 and shut many of the smaller distilleries down. Those distilleries that were too far from railroad spurs or small firms with small production, were closed and their brands were transferred to larger distilleries. Many small distillers that were not shut down, lost their independence and became part of the trust. The company existed until the start of Prohibition in 1920.

During Prohibition, R.E. Wathen formed the American Medicinal Spirits Company, which included many of the distilleries owned by the Kentucky Distillers and Warehouse Company. These distilleries included R.E. Wathen & Co., Bond & Lillard, J.M. Atherton & Co., and T.B. Ripy distilleries. They had a license to sell medicinal spirits. Kessler had left the company and formed U.S. Food Products a firm that produced yeast, vinegar and cereal products. In 1921, the company went into receivership and the people in charge of the company hired Seton Porter to manage the company. He reorganized the company and changed its name to National Distillers Products Corporation in 1924. Their brands included Old Sunny Brook, Old Overholt, Old Taylor, Old Grand Dad and Old Crow. In 1927, National Distillers purchased the American Medicinal Spirits Company. American Medicinal Spirits Company was dissolved in 1936.

The Kentucky Distillers and Warehouse Company was a major part of Kentucky’s distilling industry before Prohibition. It did not survive Prohibition, but parts of the company lived on through American Medicinal Spirits Company and later National Distiller Product Company. Today, many of the brands are still being produced through Jim Beam, who purchased National Distillers in the 1980s.

Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller