Bourbon Heritage Center History Reference
1700
- 1770 – First distillers arrive.
- 1778 – Louisville is established
- 1780 – Jacob Beam and others setup in Bardstown/Kentucky Whiskey becomes known as “bourbon”
- 1783 – Evan Williams makes whiskey
- 1785 – Elijah Craig leads congregation into Louisville
- 1789 – Elijah Craig becomes known as the “Father of Bourbon”
- 1791 – Whiskey Rebellion
- 1792 – Kentucky is admitted to statehood/Bourbon becomes the term used for Kentucky Corn Whiskey
- 1794 – Bourbon’s Proof and Excise Tax
1800’s
- 1809 – Rye whiskey is produced from local grains
- 1820 – Dr. James Crow comes to KY, begins distilling, founds sour mash process
- 1830’s – 1860’s – Distilling becomes commercial
- 1830 – Temperance Movement
- 1831 – Aeneas Coffey creates “continuous” still
- 1837 – Henry McKenna comes to the U.S., settles in Nelson County (Bardstown)
- 1850 – New practices change the distilling business in the U.S.
- 1852 – KY licenses site for Bernheim Distillery
- 1860’s – 1890’s – Bourbon becomes elite
- 1865 – Bernheim Distillery begins increasing it’s capacity
- 1870’s – John Fitzgerald’s Bourbon becomes “Bourbon of Presidents”
- 1893 – Anti-Saloon League is founded.
1900’s
- 1919 – Volstead Act passed
- 1920 – Volstead Act becomes law, begins era of Prohibition/Mock funeral for “John Barleycorn”
- 1929 – Bernheim establishes foundation for forest preservation
- 1933 – Distilling resumes following Prohibition/Bernheim purchases Astor and Belmont Distilleries
- 1934 – Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. is founded
- 1935 – Barrel #1 is filled
- 1942 – Henry Homel sells his interest in the Jim Beam company and forms an association with the Shapira family
- 1946 – Earl Beam leaves the Jim Beam company and succeeds his cousin Harry as Heaven Hill Master Distiller
- 1964 – U.S. Congress protects the word “bourbon” as uniquely American
- 1971 – Max Shapira son of Ed Shapira joins as Director of Corporate planning
- 1976 – Harry Shapira son of David joins Shapira joins the family business
- 1996 – The historic Bardstown Distillery burns down in fire/George Shapira, last surviving member of the five founding brothers, passes away
- 1996 – Max Shapira becomes President of Heaven Hill Distilleries Inc.
- 1998 — Barrel #4,000,000 is filled on January 13.
- 1999 — Heaven Hill acquires the historic Bernheim Distillery.
2000′s
- 2001 — Current Heaven Hill Director of Marketing Strategy Kate Shapira Latts and her husband, Director of Corporate Planning Allan Latts, join the family business.
- 2002 — Barrel #4,500,000 is filled on December 4.
- 2003 — Heaven Hill breaks ground for the Heaven Hill Distilleries Bourbon Heritage Center – set to open in Fall 2004
- 2004 — Heaven Hill dedicates the new Heaven Hill Trolley to aid tourism in Bardstown and Nelson County
- 2004 — Heaven Hill dedicates the Heaven Hill Distilleries Bourbon Heritage Center
- 2004 — Wine Enthusiast names Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. Wine Star “Distiller of the Year”
- 2005 — Heaven Hill introduces Bernheim Wheat Whiskey
- 2005 — Heaven Hill introduces PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
- 2006 — Barrel #5,500,000 is filled on 31st January
- 2007—Andy Shapira joins the family business as Director of Sales Analysis
