Barrel Strength Bourbon. Carla Harris Carlton
limited the freedoms of American citizens—and the only amendment that has ever been repealed. It’s also worth noting that the 21st Amendment ceded control over alcoholic beverages to the states, which led to a confusing and inconsistent array of laws that still exists today.
Many distilleries never reopened after Repeal. The 1930s saw lots of consolidation as large distilling companies bought up smaller ones; it also saw the creation of one startup that would prove to be very successful: Heaven Hill, which was founded in 1935 by the Shapira brothers and which today is the nation’s largest independent family-owned and -operated distilled spirits producer.
The distilling industry as a whole had really no more than started gearing back up when the United States entered World War II and the federal government once again halted beverage alcohol production, this time so that distilleries could switch to 190-proof industrial alcohol for use in ammunition, plastics, antifreeze, and the like. After the war, Americans once again had money to spend, and distilleries cranked up production to provide them with bourbon to spend it on. The 1950s were a golden age of bourbon production in Kentucky. Distilleries started marketing their wares internationally. Special packaging became popular, notably the ceramic decanters sold by Jim Beam.
On May 4, 1964, Congress passed a resolution that declared bourbon whiskey to be “a distinctive product of the United States,” just as Scotch whisky is distinctive to Scotland or Canadian whiskey to Canada. Then, as now, Kentucky was producing the lion’s share of America’s bourbon: by 1968, there were almost 9 million barrels of it aging in warehouses in the Bluegrass.
But the times were not the only things a-changin’ in the late 1960s. So was the nation’s drink of choice. And it wasn’t bourbon.
In May 1964, Congress passed the following resolution declaring that bourbon whiskey could be produced only in the United States.
Whereas it has been the commercial policy of the United States to recognize marks of origin applicable to alcoholic beverages imported into the United States; and
Whereas such commercial policy has been implemented by the promulgation of appropriate regulations which, among other things, establish standards of identity for such imported alcoholic beverages; and
Whereas among the standards of identity which have been established are those for “Scotch whisky” as a distinctive product of Scotland, manufactured in Scotland in compliance with the laws of Great Britain regulating the manufacture of Scotch whisky for consumption in Great Britain and for “Canadian whisky” as a distinctive product of Canada manufactured in Canada in compliance with the laws of the Dominion of Canada regulating the manufacture of whisky for consumption in Canada and for “cognac” as grape brandy distilled in the Cognac region of France, which is entitled to be so designated by the laws and regulations of the French Government; and
Whereas “Bourbon whiskey” is a distinctive product of the United States and is unlike other types of alcoholic beverages, whether foreign or domestic; and
Whereas to be entitled to the designation “Bourbon whiskey” the product must conform to the highest standards and must be manufactured in accordance with the laws and regulations of the United States which prescribe a standard of identity for “Bourbon whiskey”; and
Whereas Bourbon whiskey has achieved recognition and acceptance throughout the world as a distinctive product of the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the recognition of Bourbon whiskey as a distinctive product of the United States be brought to the attention of the appropriate agencies of the United States Government toward the end that such agencies will take appropriate action to prohibit the importation into the United States of whisky designated as “Bourbon whiskey”.
Big Names in Bourbon
Tracing the Kentucky bourbon family tree is a lot like looking up the bloodlines of Kentucky Derby winners: you’ll encounter the same names time and again. Many families have worked in the distilling business for generations, partly because people born in Kentucky rarely leave, and the few who do usually have the good sense to come back.
One especially legendary name, of course, is Beam. Beams have been making whiskey in Kentucky ever since German immigrant Jacob Beam sold his first barrel in 1795. Seven subsequent generations have led what is today the Jim Beam Distillery. But Beams have also worked for just about every other major distillery in the state, and two descendants are currently reviving their branch’s dormant legacy at a craft distillery they opened in 2011.
A bronze statue of Booker Noe, longtime Master Distiller at Jim Beam, keeps watch at the distillery. (Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association)
But first let’s talk about the Jim Beam Distillery. Jacob Beam’s son, David, eventually succeeded his father and expanded distribution. Three of David’s four sons also worked in whiskey, but only one, David M. Beam, joined his father at the family company. During David M.’s tenure, he moved the distillery from Washington County to Nelson County to be closer to the railroad. David M. also had four sons, two of whom followed him into the company: James Beauregard “Jim” Beam (the famous one) and Park Beam.
The Beam distillery, like so many others, closed during Prohibition. After Repeal, Jim Beam rebuilt it in Clermont, Kentucky, its present location, as the Jim Beam Company. He had two children, T. Jeremiah and Margaret. Under T. Jeremiah’s watch, the company opened a second distilling plant in 1954 near Boston, Kentucky. But because he had no children, it was his sister’s son, Booker Noe, who became the sixth-generation distiller. He was initially Master Distiller at the Boston plant (now known as the Booker Noe plant), and eventually became a larger-than-life ambassador for the company. His son, Fred Noe, is the current Jim Beam Master Distiller. On May 2, 2016, Fred and his son, Freddie, the eighth generation of this bourbon-making family, filled the 14 millionth barrel of Jim Beam bourbon.
Heaven Hill Master Distillers Craig and the late Parker Beam (Photo courtesy of Heaven Hill)
Now that you’ve wrapped your head around Noes distilling at Jim Beam, let’s talk about the Beams distilling at Heaven Hill. David Beam’s oldest son, Joseph M. Beam, had 14 children. One of them, Joseph L. “Joe” Beam, helped found the Heaven Hill distillery in Bardstown after Prohibition. Joe’s son Harry Beam was Heaven Hill’s first distiller; he was succeeded by Park Beam’s son Earl, who left the Jim Beam Distillery for the job. Earl was followed by his son, Parker Beam (namesake of the distillery’s annual Parker’s Heritage Collection); Parker and his son, Craig, were co–Master Distillers until Parker stepped down in 2012. (Parker passed away after a long battle with ALS in January 2017.) Craig Beam is now co–Master Distiller with Denny Potter. (Speaking of families, Heaven Hill is the largest independent family-owned and -operated producer and marketer of distilled spirits in the United States, having been owned by the Shapira family from the start.) Joe Beam and his other sons also worked at various times for Four Roses and for Maker’s Mark.
Paul (left) and Stephen Beam of Limestone Branch Distillery (Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association)
Joseph