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2020-01-23 -Short Attention Span Theater-

America's First Family of Bourbon: The Beams

[Daily Beest] James Beauregard Beam was distilling bourbon well before Prohibition, and when Prohibition ended, he was eager to do it again. At the news of Repeal, Jim Beam (as he was commonly known) turned to his son Jeremiah, his brother Park Beam and Park’s two sons, Carl and Earl, and said, "boys, time for us to get back to work."

But the Beams were broke. Prohibition had not been kind to them. A family knack for success in the distilling business proved to be less than translatable to other endeavors, including a rock quarry and an orange grove. So, Jim had to scramble and find investors in Illinois to fund a new distillery. Once he got the money together, with his son and two nephews, they built a distillery in 120 days, doing a lot of the work themselves. Even though Jim was 70-years-old, he was on site every day. The new distillery opened on March 25, 1935.

Before Prohibition, the Beam family brand had been Old Tub Bourbon Whiskey. To Jim’s dismay, he learned that the rights to the name had been sold during Prohibition. Despite this setback, he was undeterred and that’s when the whiskey officially became Jim Beam Bourbon. Real man; real whiskey; true story.

It’s a great piece of whiskey history, but it’s only a small, small part of the Beams’ story. The family had a huge influence on distilling in America and helped build dozens of bourbon brands, including Maker’s Mark, Stitzel-Weller, Early Times, Four Roses, Michter’s, Barton, and, quite famously, Heaven Hill.

The Beams can truly lay claim to being America’s first family of bourbon. Read on for more about the family’s incredible legacy.

Posted by Besoeker 2020-01-23 07:06|| || Front Page|| [11138 views ] Top

#1 Rode on Fred Noe's golf cart at the Charlotte NASCAR race a few years back. He remembered me from a whiskey tasting event in Pissburgh. Had some hospitality on the Jim Beam bus before the race.

Posted by M. Murcek 2020-01-23 07:24|| 2020-01-23 07:24|| Front Page Top

#2 Wish I liked Bourbon. I'd rather support it than Scotland but there you have it.

The only one I've tried that is drinkable, for me, is Buffalo Trace and that's marginal.

My son makes up for it though which is why my bar cabinet has a big bottle of Jim Beam in it.

Posted by AlanC 2020-01-23 08:39|| 2020-01-23 08:39|| Front Page Top

#3 My bourbon-drinking son swears by Evan Williams, which is pretty good and a lot cheaper than some others. Myself, I have developed a taste for Tullamore Dew, an Irish whiskey. Smooth!

Posted by Bobby 2020-01-23 12:13|| 2020-01-23 12:13|| Front Page Top

#4 If I'm drinking a Whiskey/Coke, Beam is my choice

Posted by Frank G 2020-01-23 12:22|| 2020-01-23 12:22|| Front Page Top

#5 I like Oban single malt whiskey. Been to the distillery twice, If I recall.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2020-01-23 20:30|| 2020-01-23 20:30|| Front Page Top

#6 ^^^

Posted by Lex 2020-01-23 20:46|| 2020-01-23 20:46|| Front Page Top

#7 My favorite bourbon is rum - sorry. [Just don't like the taste of any alcohol that tastes like whiskey smells. :-( ]

Posted by Barbara 2020-01-23 20:52|| 2020-01-23 20:52|| Front Page Top

#8 Islay fer me

Posted by Lex 2020-01-23 21:40|| 2020-01-23 21:40|| Front Page Top

#9 I beg
You beg
We all beg
For Ardbeg

Posted by Lex 2020-01-23 21:41|| 2020-01-23 21:41|| Front Page Top

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