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I often get asked about the Hoffman Distillery. They usually have an old bottle of a brand that came from the distillery. Julian Van Winkle III briefly owned the distillery in the 1990s where he warehoused his barrels and bottled his products. When Julian joined Buffalo Trace in the early 21st century, he sold the distillery. However the distillery has a rich heritage.

Isaac Hoffman and S. O. Hackley established the distillery in about 1850. The Wertheimer Distilling Interest was established in the late 1850s in Cincinnati, Ohio, by Jacob Wertheimer. Their primary brand was Old Spring, which was produced by the Hoffman Distillery. Jacob’s sons Lee and Edward incorporated the business in 1881 as L. & E. Wertheimer. In about 1900, they opened a rectifying plant in Cincinnati. They closed down for Prohibition, but upon Repeal, they once again entered the business as whiskey brokers. They quickly re-established connections with the Hoffman Distillery.

The Hoffman Distillery was re-opened in 1934 by Ezra and Robert Ripy. Their brands were Old Spring (with L. & E. Wertheimer) and Old Hoffman. In 1957, they created the brand Ezra Brooks. In 1965, 21 Brands acquired the Ezra Brooks brand and the distillery. The distillery at that time had a capacity of 300 bushels per day and was run by Ben G. Ripy, William R. Ripy and Robert Ripy. In 1976, Medley Distilling Co. acquired 21 Brands with the Ezra Brooks brand and distillery. The distillery was shut down not long after this acquisition.

Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller