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The Legendary Origin of Kentucky Bourbon

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Elijah Craig, is legendary among bourbon enthusiasts both for his reputation as the inventor of bourbon and for the two fine bourbons that still bear his name to this day.  The Examiner article, “Elijah Craig, Inventor of Kentucky Bourbon,” relates the story of Craig’s life following his exodus from Orange County Virginia to Fayette County, which later became a part of the new state of Kentucky.

Initially leaving Orange County to escape persecution from the Anglican Church, Craig settled into Fayette County, purchased 1,000 acres of land, and laid out plans for the town of Lebanon.  Lebanon eventually began to thrive and was later renamed Georgetown.  During his years in Fayette, Craig established a school, donated money and land for the founding of Georgetown College, and set up his own distillery.  The amber colored, corn-based whisky Craig produced would later be responsible for his immortalization.

As the article states:

“Craig was attributed with inventing bourbon whiskey in 1789. He is claimed to be the first to age the whiskey in charred oak casks, which gives the liquor its unique color and taste. There are some who dispute this claim however, stating that local farmers were making small batch bourbon whiskey as early as 1785. There is no historical evidence that he was the first to employ this method, and the first attribution to this claim was published in 1874.”

While the simple truth behind the invention of bourbon may be lost, the history of bourbon has been well documented by Louisville, KY based historian, Michael Veach.  Veach’s book, Kentucky Bourbon Whisky: An American Heritage, is an enthralling account of bourbon’s history from inception to modern times.  One can also order a bottle of Elijah Craig from Heaven Hill Distilleries and experience a piece of history firsthand.

Michael Cole, June 20, 2013

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search


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