Born in Orange, VA, Elijah Craig would become known as the “Father of Bourbon” for his discovery of charring barrels for aging whiskey. He was not only a reverend, a farmer, and a fire chief, but he would open a clothing manufacturing plan, a paper mill, a lumber mill, a grist mill, and a distillery.

Born circa 1740 in Virginia, Evan Williams founded the first commercial spirit distillery in KY, “K.S.P. #1” in an area that was later admitted into the Union in 1792 as the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Under the guidance of Earl Beam, Heaven Hill Distillery would name a product after Evan Williams in 1959.

The 5th of 10 children, Johannes Jacob Beam is born on February 9th. His father, Nicholas Boehm, changed the family name to “Beam” to fit in better in America.

Born in Inverness Scotland, Dr. James “Jim” Christopher Crow would be credited as the perfecter of the sour mash process, though no historical records support him as being the creator of the process. He moved to the States in 1820 and was hired as Master Distiller of a distillery run by Oscar Pepper. The distillery used the newly invented Coffey stills instead of pot stills. And unlike his counterparts, Dr. Crow used a hydrometer to test proof instead of gun powder, or shaking the jars.

David Beam, third son of Jacob Beam, is born in the newly formed Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Born James Rippey in Northern Ireland in March of 1811, he would have his name incorrectly shortened to “Ripy” by customs officials when he entered the country in the late 1820’s. He would establish what would become the Wild Turkey Distillery in 1853.

Born in Draperstown, County Derry in Ireland in 1819, Henry McKenna moved to Nelson County, KY with his family at the age of 18. He worked in an Irish distillery before he moved but had no intentions of working in the whiskey industry when he came to America. In 1855 he opened a flour mill in Fairfield, KY and needing a way to dispose of all of the grist waste the mill produced, he fed as much as he could to his farm animals, then turned the rest into a wheat whiskey.

Joseph Washington Dant is born on May 7th in Marion County Kentucky, to John Baptist and Mary Jane. JW’s aunt (John Baptist Dant’s sister) was Mary Polly Hayden who was married to Lewis Hayden.

Raymond B. “RB” Hayden is born to Lewis Hayden and Mary Polly Dant Hayden. R.B. was the grandson of Basil Hayden Sr. and first cousin of J.W. Dant.

Born in Anderson County KY, W.H. McBrayer would be elected judge of the county in 1851, and served until 1859 when he was elected to the KY Senate. He served in the Senate until 1863. He established the Cedar Brook Distillery in 1847. By 1892 the distillery had 3 bonded warehouses, and 1 free warehouse on the property.

The oldest of David Beam‘s sons, Joseph B. Beam, is born in Washington County Kentucky. His son is Minor Case Beam, the first cousin to James Beauregard “Jim” Beam.

William Larue Weller is born to Samuel and Phoebe Larue in 1825 near Bardstown, KY. He would serve in the Mexican-American War from 1846 to 1848 before opening a trading company with his brother, William Larue Weller & Brother, which would later become W. L. Weller Distillery Company, and then Stitzel-Weller Distillery.

J. T. S. Brown, Sr. was born in Louisville, KY, he was part of a six generation family that grew into the largest whiskey producing company in the world.

Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. was born in Columbia, Kentucky in 1832 and was a descendant of two U.S. presidents: James Madison and General Zachary Taylor. As Mayor of Frankfort, KY, he used his influence to help pass the “Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897” along with help from the Secretary of Treasury, John Carlisle, and a friend in the whiskey business, Ezra Brooks.

David M. Beam is born in Washington County, KY. to David Beam and Elizabeth.

The youngest of David Beam‘s sons, John H. “Jack” Beam, is born.

Born to Taylor William Samuels, founder of T.W. Samuels Distillery, William Isaac would become a primary manager of the T. W. Samuels & Son Distillery with his father. He is the grandfather of Bill Samuels, Sr., founder of Maker’s Mark.

In September, George Garvin Brown is born in Munfordville, KY to J.T.S. Brown. He is the namesake of Brown-Forman.

Born Thomas Beebe Ripy in 1847, T.B. was the son of James Ripy. With the help of his father, T.B. would later become a partial owner of a distillery with Judge McBrayer before taking over completely in 1868, renaming it T. B. Ripy Cliff Springs Distilling Co. This would later become Wild Turkey Distillery.

Most historians believe Jack Daniel was born in 1848, and though the exact date is unknown, the Jack Daniel’s website celebrates his birthday on September 5 each year. After running away from home at 15 to get away from his widowed step-mother, Jack was taken in by Reverend Daniel Call, who began teaching him how to distill.  While he was a partner with Rev. Call at a small distillery, and while the bottles state “Est. & Reg., in 1866”, the distillery was not registered until 1875 when he inherited his father’s estate.

Joseph Bernard Dant is born to Joseph Washington “J.W.” and Ann Catherine Ballard Dant.

Ezekiel Harrison Allen is born in Cartersville, GA. He would lay the foundation for what would become one of the largest, illicit moonshining and bootlegging operations in the South.

Minor Case Beam is born to Joseph B. Beam and Mary Ellen Humphrey. He is the first cousin to James Beauregard “Jim” Beam., and great-grand father to Steve and Paul Beam, operators of Limestone Branch Distillery.

James Beauregard “Jim” Beam is born on August 25 to David M. Beam, in Bardstown, KY

Born in Garrard County, KY in 1835, George T. Stagg would start a spirits distribution company out of St. Louis, MO, importing and shipping Kentucky whiskies all over the mid-West. in 1878, due to a world economic downturn, Stagg would purchase the O.F.C. Distillery from Col. E. H. Taylor who owed Stagg over $150,000 – more than $4MM in today’s value.

Joseph L. Beam, better known as “Mr. Joe”, was born in April in Washington County Kentucky to Joseph B. Beam. He is Jim Beam‘s first cousin, and brother to Minor Case Beam.

Younger brother to Jim Beam, William Parker “Park” Beam, is born on December 22 in Washington County, KY to David M. Beam

Leslie B. Samuels is born to William Isaac and Emma Dorcas in Kentucky. He is the father to Bill Samuels, Sr., founder of Maker’s Mark Distillery.  At the age of 26 he would inherit the distillery after the death of his grandfather and father in the same year. The distillery produced two brands: T. W. Samuels and Old Deatsville.

J.W. Dant‘s youngest son, George Washington Dant, is born in Marion County, KY. George is 22 years younger than his brother, Joseph Bernard Dant.

Born in 1874 in Louisville, KY, Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle began working as a salesman in 1893 for a liquor wholesaler known as W.L. Weller & Sons. His son, grandson, and now great grandson, run the Van Winkle brand operations for Buffalo Trace Distillery.

James “Jim” Harrison Allen is born in Henry, GA to Ezekiel Harrison and Sarah Dunahoo. At the age of 14 he began distilling the family’s 4 grain whiskey recipe.

Born on a farm next to the O.F.C. Distillery (known today as Buffalo Trace Distillery) in Frankfort, KY.

Born Joseph Elmo in Nelson County, KY to Joseph L. Beam, Elmo would serve as the first master distiller of Maker’s Mark Distillery. His brother, C. Everett Beam was the master distiller for Michter’s. His uncle was Minor Case Beam.

T. Jeremiah “Jere” Beam is born in July to Jim Beam. Jere would later turn the Jim Beam brand into the global giant it is today.

Born in Nelson County, KY to William “Park” Parker and Susan Mary. Earl would eventually leave the James B. Beam Distillery Company and become the master distiller at Heaven Hill. It was a friendly split.

Born in Nelson County, KY to Joseph L., C. Everett would become the master distiller for Michter’s. His uncle was Minor Case Beam.

Carl Beam is born in Nelson County, KY to William Parker “Park” and Susan Mary.

Taylor William Samuels was born in Kentucky to William and Sarah. In 1844 he would establish the T.W. Samuels Distillery, from his father’s little family farm setup. He is the great-grandfather of T. William (Bill) Samuels, Sr., founder of Maker’s Mark Distillery.

Born Taylor William Samuels II, “Bill” was born in Kentucky to Leslie B. and Mary Louise, and was heir to the T. W. Samuels Distillery Co. On early labels of T.W. Samuels‘ products, Bill is listed as “T. W. Samuels IV” being born in 1911. After leaving his family’s distilling company in 1943 due to disagreements over the quality of their product, he would go on to establish Maker’s Mark Distillery. It is believed he changed his name to distance himself from his family’s distillery.

Born August 30th to Joseph L. Beam and Katherine Leone McGill in Nelson County, KY.

The son of Pappy, Julian P. Van Winkle Jr. was born  in 1914 in Louisville, KY. He would run the Stitzel-Weller Distillery founded by his father from 1964 until the family sold it in 1972. In 1977 he founded J.P. Van Winkle and Son, a bottling and commemorative decanter plant. This company would create the Old Rip Van Winkle label as a side venture for his son, Julian III.

Born to Roy Marion and Mittie Beam in Kentucky, Charles “Chuck” L. Beam would become the fourth master distiller of Four Roses Distillery in 1968. His uncles included Elmo Beam, Desmond Beam, and C. Everett Beam. During his tenure, Four Roses introduced Benchmark Bourbon in 1969 and Eagle Rare in 1975. He retired in 1984 and was inducted posthumously into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2010.

Born on October 7th in Louisville, KY, Charles would become the fourth Master Distiller at Four Roses in 1968. During his tenure, Charles would introduce Benchmark Bourbon in 1969 and Eagle Rare in 1975. He would be posthumously inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2010.

Born in Kentucky in 1929, Frederick Booker Noe II, served as the Master Distiller for The Jim Beam Distillery for over 40 years. He would coin the phrase “small batch” to describe his uncut, unfiltered bourbon, which was released as Booker’s Bourbon in 1987. His maternal grandfather was Jim Beam.

James Henry Allen is born in Acworth, GA to Jim Harrison Allen. At the age of 16 he began bootlegging his father’s whiskey and moonshine covering west Georgia, Alabama, western Tennessee, and Mississippi. He is currently nominated for the National Moonshiners Hall of Fame.

Born in 1935, Jimmy Russell started at the Boulevard Distillery (later to be renamed Wild Turkey Distillery) on September 10, 1954 as a plant sweeper at the age of 19.  In 1967 he would be named the distillery’s 3rd master distiller. A role he would keep for 48 years until 2015 when his son, Eddie, would take over as the master distiller.

Edward “Baker” Beam, son of Carl Beam, is born in Bardstown, KY.

Earl Parker Beam is born on September 17th to Earl Beam and Velma Beam.

Born Frederick Booker Noe III in Bardstown, KY, Fred is the son of “Booker” Noe Jr. and grandson of Jim Beam. He currently serves as Jim Beam’s 8th Master Distiller and was inducted into the Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2013.