Jim Beam and the Beginning of its 225-Year History
In 1740, when the USA was still "The Thirteen Colonies," the Böhm family arrived in America, determined to live the colonial dream. 48 years later, they moved to what is now central Kentucky and Americanized their German name to "Beam." The warm summers, mild winters, and limestone springs made their new home ideal for… you guessed it… growing corn. Was that not what you were thinking? Well, don't worry, the bourbon story is coming soon.
In the late 18th century, in Western Pennsylvania, German, Scottish, and Irish settlers were already producing rye whiskey using recipes they brought from their homelands. When the American government began offering incentives for settlers to move west and grow corn, many of them, along with their families, settled in Kentucky, Virginia region (strange times indeed). Among these farmers was Jacob Beam, who, like many others, used his father's whiskey recipe to distill surplus corn into a new, sweeter type of whiskey. Thus, bourbon was born, and the foundations of Jim Beam were laid.
19th Century
Perhaps the best decision Jacob Beam made was to sell his bourbon. He sold his first barrel of Old Jake Beam Sour Mash in 1795, just three years after Kentucky officially became a state. His bourbon quickly became a regional favorite – no small feat, considering that in the early 19th century, Kentucky was home to approximately 2,000 distilleries.
In 1820, Jacob Beam handed over the distillery to his exceptionally astute son, David Beam. At that time, bourbon could practically only be distributed locally, so instead of bottling and selling it in stores, as we do today, people brought their own containers to the distillery and had them filled directly from the barrels. David, however, anticipated the impending change and decided to expand the distillery for future development and to transition from pot stills to column stills to ensure continuous production. He renamed the bourbon "Old Tub" to match the distillery's name.
During the Civil War, bourbon achieved such popularity that even General Ulysses S. Grant became a passionate admirer. Due to the General's successes, President Lincoln is said to have uttered the following words about him: "Find out what he drinks and send a case to my other generals as well."
Our past is only half the story. The best is yet to come.
