Portal:Drink/Selected person/12
The Beam Family
The Beam family founded and operate the Jim Beam distillery that produces the bourbon of the same name.
During the late 1700’s a group of immigrants from Germany came to America who would leave a lasting impression on the American spirits business. Johannes "Jacob" Beam (1770–1834) found the land rich for farming and began experimenting with the corn and grains that grew on his farm, blending them with the clear spring water that flowed nearby. The mix was run through a still and aged in barrels, producing a liquid that came to become known as bourbon, possibly named after Bourbon County, Kentucky. Jacob Beam sold his first barrels of corn whiskey around 1795. The whiskey was first called Old Jake Beam, and the distillery was known as Old Tub.
David Beam (1802–1854) took his father’s responsibilities in 1820 at the age of 18, expanding distribution of the family’s bourbon during a time of industrial revolution. David M. Beam (1833–1913) in 1854 moved the distillery to Nelson County to capitalize on the growing network of railroad lines connecting states. Colonel James B. Beam (1864–1947) managed the family business before and after Prohibition, rebuilding the distillery in 1933 in Clermont, Kentucky, near his Bardstown home. From this point forward, the bourbon would be called “Jim Beam Bourbon” after the Colonel. T. Jeremiah Beam (1899–1977) started working at the Clear Springs distillery in 1913, later earning the title of Master Distiller and overseeing operations at the new Clermont facility.James B.Beam Distilling Company was founded in 1935 by Harry L. Homel, Oliver Jacobson, H. Blum and Jerimiah Beam. Jeremiah Beam eventually gained full ownership and opened a second distillery near Boston, Kentucky, in 1954. Jeremiah later teamed up with child-hood friend Jimberlain Joseph Quinn, to expand the enterprise. (Full article...)