At one time, the Kentucky Bourbon Affair had an event at the Filson Historical Society where Bill Thomas, Jared Hyman and I held an appraisal fair. It was a lot of fun and many interesting items came in for appraisal.... Continue Reading →
In 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery opened in Bardstown, Ky. It was founded by the five Shapira brothers. They had no experience in the distilling industry and no established brands. They were, however, excellent businessmen with a plan. They would distill... Continue Reading →
J.W. Dant first started distilling whiskey in 1836 on a still he made from a hollowed out log. His whiskey became popular and he soon was able to purchase a copper still and eventually grew to become a well-known distiller... Continue Reading →
Before Prohibition, there were no regulations for advertising whiskey. This led to many forms of advertising that people today would consider shocking. These advertising cards for H. McKenna Whisky, made by the firm that handled their whiskey in Boston, Mass.... Continue Reading →
Old Crow Bourbon is not what it used to be. In the early 19th century, James C. Crow came to Kentucky and started making whiskey at the Old Oscar Pepper Distillery. He was the first distiller to apply scientific methods... Continue Reading →
This bar decanter dates from the first decade of the twentieth century. Peter Cooper Rye was a product of the rectifying company of Dreyfuss, Weil & Co. of Paducah, Kentucky. Paducah, Kentucky has a rich heritage in the spirits industry.... Continue Reading →
Tom Moore was a distiller active in the late 19th century. He was involved in several Nelson County, Kentucky distilleries, including at least one with Ben Mattingly at the Mattingly and Moore Distillery. Tom Moore’s most lasting distillery was the... Continue Reading →
When I was archivist for United Distillers, the collection contained many bar decanters from various brands. One of my favorite brands of these decanters were the Mammoth Cave Whiskey decanters. They have a full color illustration of the cave entrance... Continue Reading →
When this half pint bottle of Yellowstone Bourbon was bottled, Yellowstone was becoming the best-selling Bourbon in Louisville /Jefferson County, Kentucky. At the time, the brand was owned by Glenmore Distilleries and was made, aged and bottled in Louisville. The... Continue Reading →
