Whiskey Founders Stories
Table of Contents
(listed in Section order below)
Many of the names below will be found on your favorite bourbon label or whiskey bottle even today. This page is dedicated to the men or women who spent their entire lives working in or improving on the Bourbon or Whiskey industry in North America. In order to have made this list, the person must have had some significant impact on either their Company, their Distillery or the Industry as a whole.
For a Comprehensive List of every person featured in the Whiskey Founders Section simply scroll down this page. This list is placed in order by Distillery size and then by Region.
For a list of the members of the Whiskey Founders Committee, the contributors to this section of the Whiskey University website, see the bottom of this page.
Colonel Craig Duncan, President — Tracy McLemore, Chairman.
Below are the Three Major Types of Whiskey Founders followed by the Thirteen Major Distilleries’ Founders are listed in Size Order, they are followed by and then followed by Six Geographic Areas of Craft Whiskey Founders
Tennessee Whiskey Founders
Mid-Atlantic States Whiskey Founders
Canadian Whisky Founders
Jack Daniel’s Founders
Jim Beam Founders
Heaven Hill Founders
Buffalo Trace Founders
Whiskey Supporters & Contributors
Brown-Forman Founders
Wild Turkey Founders
Maker’s Mark Founders
Diageo-Bulleit Founders
Bardstown Bourbon Founders
Four Roses Founders
M.G.P./LuxCo Founders
Barton 1792 Founders
Willett Founders
Craft Founders Bourbon Capital
Craft Founders Great Plains
Craft Founders Bluegrass
Craft Founders Whiskey Row
Craft Founders Southern U. S.
Craft Founders Midwest U. S.
Craft Founders South Central
Craft Founders Pacific States
Craft Founders Northeast U. S.
George Dickel Founders
Craft Founders Mountain States
Women in Whiskey Founders
Whiskey Founders Committee
Tennessee Whiskey Founders
Below is a list and links to Whiskey Founders that have made huge contributions to the growth of the Tennessee Whiskey Industry. This section highlights those individuals that have added great value to the industry and Whiskey University considers them an integral part of the birth and/or rapid expansion of Tennessee Whiskey throughout the world. These may have been historical figures that lived long ago before prohibition or may be living leaders that have advanced the cause of the industry as a whole. Tennessee Whiskey has been its own whiskey category for years but the requirements of a Tennessee Whiskey weren’t defined by statute until May of 2013.
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
22
23
1
Company Distilling
2
Ole Smoky
3
Corsair Distillery
4
Nearest Green Distillery
5
Old Dominick Distillery
6
Old Dominick Distillery
8
Whiskey University
9
Sugarlands Distilling Company
10
Nearest Green Distillery
11
Short Mountain Distillery
13
Gate 11 Distillery
14
Nelson’s GreenBrier Distillery
15
Nelson’s GreenBrier Distillery
16
Nelson’s GreenBrier Distillery
17
Chattanooga Whiskey
18
Prichard’s Distillery
19
Nearest Green Distillery
20
PostModern Spirits
21
Tennessee Distilling Group
7
Old Glory Distillery
Old Tennessee Distillery
12
Leiper’s Fork Distillery
Blue Note
Jack Daniel’s Founders
Jack Daniel's is the most popular brand of whiskey in the world. The Jack Daniel's Distillery located in Lynchburg, Tennessee produces many brands, labels and variations of Tennessee Whiskey or other North American whiskey. Jack Daniel's brands are owned by Brown-Forman Corporation, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. The founder of Jack Daniel's was Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel (1848-1911) and according to the distillery he was born in 1850, but they say his exact birthday is unknown.
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
10
9
16
17
1
2
3
5
6
7
8
11
12
13
14
15
4
George Augustus Dickel (February 2, 1818 – June 11, 1894) was a German American who owned a number of businesses in Nashville, Tennessee. One of his businesses was a liquor wholesaler, which was a non-distiller producer of the Cascade brand Whiskey he originally sold and distributed. During the late 19th to 20th centuries his name would appear on its labels and when the Cascade Hollow distillery was reopened in the 1950’s.
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
4
5
1
Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.
3
George Dickel Distillery
6
Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.
7
Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.
8
George Dickel Distillery
2
George Dickel Distillery
George Dickel Distillery
George Dickel Distillery
9
George Dickel Distillery
10
George Dickel Distillery
MID-ATLANTIC RYE
Whiskey Founders
Below is a list and links to Whiskey Founders that have made huge contributions to the growth of the Mid-Atlantic Rye Whiskey Industry. This section highlights those individuals that have added great value to the industry and Whiskey University considers them an integral part of the birth and/or rapid expansion of Rye Whiskey throughout the world. These Whiskey Founders and are generally located within the Mid-Atlantic States of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. These may have been historical figures that lived long ago before prohibition or may be living leaders that have advanced the cause of the industry as a whole. Rye Whiskey was declared the “Official Spirit of the State of Maryland” in 2023 by the State General Assembly and Governor Wes Moore.
20
21
22
1
Baltimore Spirits Company
2
McClintock Distilling
3
Mount Vernon of Baltimore
7
Roxbury Distilling Company
9
Sherwood Distilling Company
13
Tenth Ward Distilling Company
14
Green Valley Distillery
15
Tobacco Barn Distillery
16
S. T. Suit Bourbon
17
Sagamore Spirit
Sherwood Distillery
Lyon/Windon Distilling Comp
Maryland Rye Whiskey Founders
Below is a list and links to Whiskey Founders that have made huge contributions to the growth of the Maryland Rye Whiskey Industry. This section highlights those individuals that have added great value to the industry and Whiskey University considers them an integral part of the birth and/or rapid expansion of Rye Whiskey throughout the world.
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
4
James Clark Distillery
5
Mevale Distillery
6
Whiskey University Founder
8
Jim Beam Distillery
10
First Eastern Rye Distilling
12
Baltimore Pure Rye Distilling
11
TBA
18
Orient Distillery
19
Willet Distillery
Sherwood Distillery
1
2
3
4
5
6
Southern Distilling Company
North Carolina Whiskey Founders
Below is a list and links to Whiskey Founders that have made huge contributions to the growth of the North Carolina Whiskey Industry. This section highlights those individuals that have added great value to the industry and Whiskey University considers them an integral part of the birth and/or rapid expansion Whiskey throughout the world.
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
Piedmont Distillers
Old Nick Williams Dist.
Old Nick Williams Dist.
Mystic Farms
Bogue Sound Distillery
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Bombergers Declaration
Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey Founders
Below is a list and links to Whiskey Founders that have made huge contributions to the growth of the Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey Industry. This section highlights those individuals that have added great value to the industry and Whiskey University considers them an integral part of the birth and/or rapid expansion of Rye Whiskey throughout the world.
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
8
9
10
11
12
13
Dillinger
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Dad’s Hat Distillery
Jim Beam Distillery
TBD
TBD
Wigle Distillery
Walnut Street Whitney Glassworks
New Liberty Distilling
Virginia & West Virginia
Rye Whiskey Founders
11
2
TBD
3
Heaven Hill
4
TBD
8
TBD
9
10
5
Catoctin Creek Distillery
6
Smooth Ambler Spirits
Berkeley Plantation
Mount Vernon Distillery
Below is a list and links to Whiskey Founders that have made huge contributions to the growth of the Virginia & West Virginia Rye Whiskey Industry. This section highlights those individuals that have added great value to the industry and Whiskey University considers them an integral part of the birth and/or rapid expansion of Rye Whiskey throughout the world.
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
TBD
7
TBD
TBD
Canadian Whisky Founders
Below is a list and links to Whiskey Founders that have made huge contributions to the growth of the Canadian Whisky Industry. This section highlights those individuals that have added great value to the industry and Whiskey University considers them an integral part of the birth and/or rapid expansion of Canadian Whisky throughout the world. These may have been historical figures that lived long ago before prohibition or may be living leaders that have advanced the cause of the industry as a whole.
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
12
1
Crown Royal Distillery
2
Crown Royal Distillery
3
H. Corby Distillery Limited
5
Gooderham & Worts
6
Forty Creek Distillery
7
Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd.
8
Hiram Walker Distillery Limited
9
Joseph Seagram & Sons
10
Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd.
11
J. P. Wiser & Son Distillery
4
TBD
Ocanagan
Jim Beam Founders
The Beam family has been producing whiskey since 1795 although it was interrupted by Prohibition. Eight generations and direct line descendants of founder Jacob Beam have been involved in whiskey production for the company that makes Jim Beam. The eight generations and many branches off of the main Beam tree have earned the reputation as "America's First Family of Bourbon."
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Heaven Hill Founders
Heaven Hill Brands is an American family-owned and operated distillery company headquartered in the Bourbon Capital of the world, Bardstown, Kentucky. It is the second-largest bourbon distiller with the second largest inventory in the world. This Founders page takes a deep look into Heaven Hill's two most influential families; the Shapiras and the Beams. The five Shapira brothers and their decedents have run the business side of things so successful that the name Heaven Hill is recognized and consumed all over the world. The Beam family ran the distilling or whiskey production side of Heaven Hill.
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Buffalo Trace Founders
The Buffalo Trace Distillery distillery is located on the Kentucky River in Frankfort, Kentucky in what was formerly Bourbon County (now Franklin County). It has been well known in the past under several other names like the George T. Stagg Distillery or the O.F.C. (Old Fire & Copper) Distillery. The distillery makes the largest number of whiskies in the world spanning some 98 different labels, brands or variations. Unlike other distilleries the Founders from Buffalo Trace all hail from different families and not the same clan or two.
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Brown-Forman Founders
The Brown-Forman Corporation, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky may be the fourth largest Bourbon Distiller in the world but it is by far the largest Whiskey, wine and distilled spirit maker in North America. In fact, the company produces over 80 brands, labels and variations of Bourbon and North American whiskey. Some of the name brand lines that are produced by one of four distilleries include the world's best selling-whiskey Jack Daniels as well as Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Early Times, Canadian Mist and Collingwood.
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
15
14
Wild Turkey Founders
The Wild Turkey Distillery is part of the international mega-corporation Campari America that produces many, labels and variations of North American whiskey including bourbon, its biggest distillery is still in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The company and its distillery is now the sixth largest producer of Bourbon and North American whiskies in the world. Wild Turkey’s Founders are dominated by two families in the Ripy family and the Russell family.
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Maker’s Mark Founders
Maker's Mark is the fifth most popular a brand of bourbon whiskey in the world. The Maker's Mark Distillery is located in Loretto, Kentucky and produces many brands, labels and variations of Bourbon. Maker's Mark is owned by Beam Suntory, Inc. Maker’s Mark dates back to 1958 but its history revolves around one family long, long before that. The Samuels family is indelibly weaved through out the brand’s very being.
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Diaego/Bulleit Whiskey Founders
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
2
3
5
4
Bardstown Bourbon Company Founders
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Four Roses Founders
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
M. G. P. / LuxCo Founders
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Barton/1792 Founders
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
3
4
5
6
7
8
2
Willett Founders
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
2
3
4
5
7
6
Craft Founders Bourbon Capital
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
12
1
Limestone Branch Distillery
2
Limestone Branch Distillery
3
Limestone Branch Distillery
11
Limestone Branch Distillery
7
Boundary Oak Distillery
8
Bourbon Capital Historian
9
Preservation Distillery
10
Kentucky Owl Distillery
4
Preservation Distillery
5
Potter Jane
6
Buzick Construction
MGP/Luxco
Craft Founders Bluegrass Region
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
Wilderness Trail Distillery
2
Town Branch Distiller
3
4
5
Castle & Key Distillery
Wilderness Trail Distillery
True Story Distillery
8
Glenns Creek Distillery
9
James E. Pepper Distillery
10
Labot & Graham Distillery
11
Labrot & Graham Distillery
6
Larrikin Distillery
12
Four Roses Distillery
7
Town Branch Distillery
13
Spears Distillery
Craft Founders Whiskey Row Region
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
25
26
12
13
1
Heaven Hill Distillery
4
Angel’s Envy Distillery
5
Prohibition Craft Spirits
6
Michter‘s Distillery
7
Wilderness Trail Distillery
8
Kentucky Peerless Distilling
9
Michter’s Distillery
10
Jeptha Creed Distillery
Stitzel-Weller Distillery
14
Kentucky Peerless Distilling
15
Kentucky Peerless Distilling
17
Stitzel-Weller Distillery
18
Stitzel-Weller Distillery
19
Stitzel-Weller Distillery
21
Michter’s Distillery
22
Rabbit Hole Distillery
23
Jefferson’s Bourbon
24
Jefferson’s Bourbon
11
Heaven Hill Distillery
16
Buffalo Trace
2
Old Carter
3
Stizel-Weller
20
Historian
TBA
Vendome Copper
Angels Envy
Medium & Craft Distilleries;
Northeastern U. S. States
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
8
9
3
Tuthilltown Spirits
2
WhistlePig
5
WhistlePig
1
Litchfield
4
Penelope Bourbon
6
Maker’s Mark
7
Wiggly Bridge
Maker’s Mark
Bully Boy
Medium & Craft Distilleries;
Southeast U. S. States
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
3
4
5
6
1
9
10
13
2
14
15
17
18
16
7
8
11
12
Medium & Craft Distilleries;
Midwest U. S. States
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
6
7
8
10
11
12
12
13
14
15
1
Koval
2
T.B.A.
4
5
New Riff Distilling
New Riff Distilling
Few Spirits
9
Starlight Distillery
Hard Truth Distillery
New Riff Distilling
3
Indian Creel Distilling
Great Lakes Distilliry
Middle West Spirits
New Riff Distilling
Magnus & Still Austin
Joe Henry & Sons
Journeyman Distillery
Medium & Craft Distilleries;
Great Plains U. S. States
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
9
10
11
12
13
14
1
Independent Stave
2
Independent Stave
3
Wood Hat Distillery
4
McCormick Distillery
5
Kelvin Cooperage
6
Holladay Distillery
7
O'Shaunessy Distillery
8
Cedar Ridge Distillery
Proof Artisan Distillery
Far North Distillery
Wheat State
Templeton Distillery
Union Horse
Brickway Distillery
Medium & Craft Distilleries;
Mountain U. S. States
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
8
1
Smoke Wagon
2
Frey Ranch Distillery
3
Wood Hat Distillery
4
Bardstown Bourbon
5
High West Distillery
6
Holladay Distillery
7
O'Shaunessy Distillery
Angels Envy
Medium & Craft Distilleries;
Pacific U. S. States
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
2
Hotaling & Co.
3
Clear Creek Distillery
