In 1909 William Weller died and Julian and a partner purchased the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery in Shively, Kentucky from his two sons that did not want to be in the bourbon business. This was the facility that produced all the bourbon for William Larue Weller’s wholesale company. The brands it produced at the time were large ones such as “Old Fitzgerald, Old W.L. Weller, Cabin Still, Mammoth Cave, and Old Rip Van Winkle.” The latter brand carried Julian’s popular upstate New York last name. ”Old Rip Van Winkle” was named after the famous children’s tale written by Washington Irving published in 1819. Other smaller brands included Old Elk, Old Mock and Belle of Bourbon.

Somehow as prohibition passed, Stitzel-Weller won what was essentially a golden ticket, granted one of six licenses by the federal government to produce whiskey for medicinal purposes.

A little more than a year after prohibition ended on the first Saturday of May in 1935, two distilleries merged. The new entity was anointed as, “the king of distilleries,” calling itself the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. The distillery’s reputation was renowned based on its core products of wheated bourbons. This type of bourbon used wheat as the second flavoring grain instead of rye. The wheat gave the finished product a softer, smoother taste.  After years of tremendous popularity the nickname of the distillery changed to “The Cathedral of Bourbon.”

Julian Van Winkle Sr. was a distiller who lived by the motto “We make fine bourbon at a profit if we can, at a loss if we must, but always fine bourbon." Pappy had an affinity for his family and the legacy of his family name. He brought into the company both his son Julian Proctor Jr., his son-in-law, King McClure and eventually (once he grew into a young man) his grandson, Julian Proctor Van Winkle III.

Pappy ran the Board of Directors of the company that became a “Whiskey Empire” and directed the family’s assets until almost the very end. Pappy Van Winkle Sr. died in February 1965 at the age of 91 and was buried Louisville’s Cave Hill Cemetery.

Julian Pappy Van Winkle, Jr. sold the Stitzel-Weller distillery in 1972 under pressure from the co-owners in his family to the Norton-Simon who renamed it the Old Fitzgerald Distillery, but it was then sold again to Distillers Corporation Limited. After sale again to Guinness who then became United Distillers who changed the name back to Stizel-Weller distillery. United Distillers went on to be reformed and renamed Diageo.

Julian Van Winkle III who managed to keep the Van Winkle brands and continue to bottle and sell the brands after his fathers death eventually partnered with the Sazerac family of New Orleans and the Buffalo Trace Distillery to produce the Old Rip Van Winkle and Pappy Van Winkle Family reserve brands. Rights to the rest of the Stizel-Weller distilleries brands were sold off including W. L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell, Cabin Still as well as it original label of Old Rip Van Winkle and the famous brand of Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve.