In 1936, a Kansas City mafia boss, Tom Pendergast, buys the Sam P. Lancaster Distillery. He changes the name to Shawhan Distillery in an homage to legendary distiller, George Shawhan of Lone Jack Missouri. Soon after, Park Beam would join the company after leaving the Clermont KY location due to financial troubles.
Tom Pendergast would subsequently sell the distillery to Joe Makler of Chicago who operated it in partnership with Waterfill & Frazier Distillery, operated by Mary Dowling.