Today In History - Bourbon Is Born...

...or so goes the story - sort of! In November 1789, Elijah Craig, a baptist minister residing in Kentucky, opened a distillery. (Gotta love a preacher opening a distillery, my kind of religion!) His distillery produced an elixir known as Bourbon which was whiskey distilled from corn. According to some, he was the first to distill whiskey from corn thus being the creator of Bourbon on November 8th 1789; however, according to others, local farmers in the area had been distilling whiskey from corn for at least a few years before Craig did it. Regardless, he was credited with the creation (not the original creation but a rather divine one at that). He has also been credited, or at least his distillery has been credited, with being the first to use charred oak barrels to age whiskey thus adding a taste to spirits that may have indeed been Heaven sent.

Today, he may best be remembered because of Elijah Craig 12 and 18 year old Bourbon which is produced by the aptly named Heaven Hill Distillers. I used to drink bourbon but not for awhile now. Still though, at around only $45 per bottle for an 18 year old bottle of whiskey, I may have to try it. If you go out to buy it, shop around first, some places ask over $75 a bottle!


All the best,
Glenn B