Whiskey Distilled from Corn: Bourbon's American Birth
The origin of bourbon whiskey is traditionally attributed to Reverend Elijah Craig of Georgetown, Kentucky, who is said to have first distilled corn whiskey and aged it in charred oak barrels around 1789. Historical evidence for Craig as bourbon's inventor is thin; the use of charred barrels likely evolved through experimentation by multiple distillers. What is documented is that Kentucky's Bourbon County, named for the French royal house in gratitude for France's support during the Revolution, became the center of American whiskey production because of its abundant limestone-filtered water, fertile corn-growing land, and river transportation. Federal law now defines bourbon as a whiskey made from at least 51% corn, distilled to no more than 160 proof, and aged in new charred oak containers. Kentucky produces 95% of the world's bourbon.
June 14, 1789
237 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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