A quick History of
The James B. Beam Distilling Company
The James B. Beam Distilling Company is a Japanese-owned company that happens to be one the oldest brands in the world of American Whiskey. Here’s a quick dive into Beam history, as well as some of our favorite products.
10/24/2022
The History
Jim Beam is arguably the most iconic name in the bourbon world. There’s a better-than-decent chance that it was the first bourbon you ever drank. Ask for a bourbon at a bar, the bartender is probably reaching for a bottle of “Jim.”
Called the “First Family of Bourbon” the Beam family has been making bourbon in Kentucky for over 200 years through seven generations. Johannes ‘Jacob’ Beam moved to the commonwealth in the late 1700s and used his father’s whiskey recipe and the excess corn from his farm to create a whiskey in the style that would soon be known as bourbon. The Beams sold their first barrel of bourbon in 1795, quickly becoming a favorite among Kentuckians, who had nearly 2,000 distillers to choose from by the early 19th century.
In 1894, James “Jim” Beauregard Beam took over the family operations at Old Tub Distillery. It was Jim who also had to rebuild the distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, in 1933 after 13 years of Prohibition. According to their website, he completed the job at a spry 67 years of age — by hand — in just 120 days . 1935 saw the sale of his first bottle from the James B. Beam Distilling Company. From then on, each bottle of Jim Beam has both Beauregard’s signature, as well as the motto, “None Genuine Without My Signature”. Today, you can find well over 20 different Beam products on the shelves of your local liquor store. From Devil’s Cut to Booker’s to Knob Creek, they’ve got a little something for everyone.
Beam Inc. was purchased in 2014 by Suntory Holdings Ltd, a group of Japanese distillers. While many of their fans were understandably worried, Beam’s whiskey maintained its Kentucky roots through the merger. When you have a glass of Jim Beam Bourbon, you’re not just drinking one of the most well-known bourbons, you’re tasting a product from one of the oldest brands in America.
The Products
Want to grab a fun Beam product to try on your own? Here are two of my favorites:
Booker's
Booker’s is a small batch product from the premium end of the Beam catalog. It was created by Frederick “Booker” Noe II, grandson of Jim Beam, who served as Beam Master Distiller for over 40 years. Introduced in 1987, it was the company’s first uncut, or straight-from-the-barrel bourbon. While each release varies in age & proof, it’s almost always hot, full-flavored, and tasty.
Knob Creek
Knob Creek is one of the most popular brands from the Jim Beam lineage. It was introduced in 1992, and quickly became one of the most popular brands on the market. It was so popular that in 2009, Jim Beam ran a campaign to publicize the shortage of Knob Creek Bourbon. It wasn’t until almost 2020, that they were finally able to catch up…. somewhat.