A.L. “Thompson” Willett

“The Original Willett Distillery President”

A.L. “Thompson” Willett was born January 27, 1909, in Bardstown, Kentucky, to Aloysius Lambert and Mary Catherine Thompson Willett. During his childhood, Thompson’s father was already established in the bourbon distilling industry. Thompson went on to receive his education at St. Joseph Preparatory School, then. eventually graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 1931 from Xavier University.

Thompson became the editor for the Loveland Herald in Ohio upon his graduation from Xavier, a job he would hold until 1932. From there, Thompson moved on to become the comptroller for the Kentucky Highway Department in 1932 and 1933. Neither of these seemed to be his life’s calling, so in 1933 at the age of 25, he moved on to the Bernheim Distilling Company in Louisville, where his father worked at the time, to become that distillery’s Assistant Superintendent. Thompson would hold this position until 1936, when, at the age of 27, along with his father and brother Johnny, he moved to the family farm in Bardstown and opened the Willett Distillery.

In 1936, Thompson became the President of the Willett Distilling Company, a position he would hold for the next 46 years. Using the bourbon recipe of his grandfather, John David Willett, they produced their first batch of 30 barrels on March 17, 1937. Thompson and his family made Old Bardstown their flagship brand, selling it for $4.89 per fifth in 1955. Named after a racehorse, not the town, Old Bardstown became an original cult Bourbon brand of the 20th Century, being mentioned in the novel ‘Betrayed’ by F Scott Fitzgerald. Soon after, the brand also became the inspiration for the Willett family cookbook, “Old Bardstown Bourbon Cookbook.

On January 14, 1942, Thompson married Mary Virginia Sheehan. The newlyweds resided in Bardstown, and before long, they were blessed with 7 children.

In the early 1960s, Thompson Willett developed ‘Johnny Drum Bourbon’, exclusively as a collaboration between wholesaler Trader Joe's of California and wine baron Robert Mondavi. However, as the 1970s approached, it became obvious that bourbon was about to go into a decline with the ever-growing popularity of clear spirits. So, Thompson decided to end his part of the bourbon business and move into producing ethanol for fuel. Unfortunately, the move did not pay off financially, and the distillery closed operations in 1982 before being purchased by his son-in-law in 1984.

A.L. “Thompson” Willett died on March 19th, 2001, at the age of 92. He is buried in St. Joseph Cemetery in Bardstown.

Contributed By: Paul Eggerding, Chicago, Illinois


Willett Brands developed by Thompson Willett