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 and Daniel Snyder, 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 Rye Whiskey Founders
Canadian Whisky Founders
Jack Daniel’s Founders
Jim Beam Founders
Heaven Hill Founders
Buffalo Trace Founders
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 Bluegrass
Craft Founders Whiskey Row
Craft Founders Southeast U. S.
Craft Founders Midwest U. S.
Craft Founders Western U. S.
Craft Founders Northeast U. S.
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)
1
Company Distilling
2
Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.
3
Ole Smoky
4
Corsair Distillery
5
Nearest Green Distillery
6
Old Dominick Distillery
7
Old Dominick Distillery
8
Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.
9
Whiskey University
10
Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.
11
Sugarlands Distilling Company
12
Nearest Green Distillery
13
Short Mountain Distillery
14
Leiper’s Fork Distillery
15
Gate 11 Distillery
16
Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.
17
Nelson’s GreenBrier Distillery
18
Nelson’s GreenBrier Distillery
19
Nelson’s GreenBrier Distillery
20
Chattanooga Whiskey
21
Prichard’s Distillery
22
George Dickle Distillery
23
Nearest Green Distillery
24
Corsair Distillery
25
PostModern Spirits
26
Tennessee Distilling Group
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.
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
Baltimore Spirits Company
2
McClintock Distilling
3
Mount Vernon of Baltimore
4
Roxbury Distilling Company
5
Catoctin Creek Distillery
6
Sherwood Distilling Company
7
Smooth Ambler Spirits
8
Louthan Distilling
9
Dad’s Hat Distillery
10
Tenth Ward Distilling Company
11
Sagamore Spirit
12
Green Valley Distillery
13
Tobacco Barn Distillery
14
S. T. Suit Bourbon
15
Berkeley Plantation
16
Sagamore Spirit
17
Mount Vernon Distillery
18
Sherwood Distillery
19
Wigle Whiskey
20
Lyon/Windon Distilling Comp
21
Gray Wolf Spirits
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)
1
Crown Royal Distillery
2
Crown Royal Distillery
3
H. Corby Distillery Limited
4
Gooderham & Worts
5
Forty Creek Distillery
6
Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd.
7
Hiram Walker Distillery Limited
8
Joseph Seagram & Sons
9
Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd.
10
J. P. Wiser & Son Distillery
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)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
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
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
14
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
4
Bardstown Bourbon Company Founders
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
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
2
3
4
5
6
7
Willett Founders
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
2
3
4
5
6
Craft Founders Bourbon Capital
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
Limestone Branch Distillery
2
Limestone Branch Distillery
3
Limestone Branch Distillery
4
Limestone Branch Distillery
5
Boundary Oak Distillery
6
Bardstown Bourbon Company
7
Preservation Distillery
8
Kentucky Owl Distillery
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
6
True Story Distillery
Town Branch Distillery
7
Woodford Reserve Distillery
8
James E. Pepper Distillery
9
Labot & Graham Distillery
10
Labrot & Graham Distillery
Craft Founders. Whiskey Row
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
Heaven Hill Distillery
2
Stizel-Weller Distillery
3
Boundary Oak Distillery
4
Prohibition Craft Spirits
5
Michter‘s Distillery
6
Angels Envy Distillery
7
Angels Envy Distillery
8
Kentucky Peerless Distilling
9
Whiskey House
10
Michter’s Distillery
11
Jeptha Creed Distillery
12
Stitzel-Weller Distillery
13
Kentucky Peerless Distilling
14
Kentucky Peerless Distilling
15
Kentucky Artisan Distillery
16
Stitzel-Weller Distillery
17
Stitzel-Weller Distillery
18
Stitzel-Weller Distillery
19
Stitzel-Weller Distillery
20
Michter’s Distillery
21
Rabbit Hole Distillery
22
Jefferson’s Bourbon
23
Jefferson’s Bourbon
Medium & Craft Distilleries;
Northeastern U. S. States
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
2
3
Tuthilltown Spirits
Catoctin Creek
Smooth Ambler
4
Conecuh Ridge
5
St. Augustine Distillery
6
Dad’s Hat
7
WhistlePig
8
WhistlePig
9
Sagamore Spirit
Medium & Craft Distilleries;
Midwest U. S. States
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
Koval
2
T.B.A.
3
4
New RiffNew Riff Distilling
New Riff Distilling
5
Wood Hat Spirits
6
Few Spirits
7
Holladay Distillery
8
New Starlight Distillery
9
Starlight Distillery
10
T.B.A.
11
Middle West Spirits
12
T.B.A.
13
New Riff Distilling
14
T.B.A.
15
T.B.A.
16
Weston, MO
17
T.B.A.
18
Keeper's Heart
19
T.B.A.
20
Cedar Ridge
21
Hard Truth Distillery
22
New Riff Distilling
23
Whisky Acres Distillery
24
T.B.A.
Medium & Craft Distilleries;
Western U. S. States
(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
1
Hotaling & Co.
2
Clear Creek Distillery
