kentucky distillerys

[SWINGING]

Can anyone tell me of the best way to gather information on distillerys in Kentucky that have closed or been takenover in the last75years .Is there a website that you can advise,?

[cowdery]

Your best single source for that type of information would have to be Sam Cecil's book. Unfortunately for you, that sort of information is nowhere centralized and organized in a simple and comprehensive way. There were a lot of distilleries and they changed hands frequently. Maybe you are just the person to create such a database.

[drew_kulsveen]

Mr. Cecil's book has a lot of information about the history of kentucky distilleries, but some of the information is limited. If there is a specific area that you would like to research you can always go to the deed room.

[brendaj]

you can always go to the deed room

That would be cool.
Where would this 'deed room' be?
Bj

[Hedmans Brorsa]

Has there been any bourbon distilleries established after World war II that has subsequently been closed down?

Thanks,

[cowdery]

I don't know about post-WWII, but there were many established in 1933-35, right after Prohibition, that subsequently closed down.

[cowdery]

Deeds can tell you who owned and transferred property but they don't record improvements, such as building a distillery. Sanborn maps and other insurance records used to be a good source for that information. You're right about Cecil's book. The material he developed himself is pretty reliable, but some of the material he got from Coyte isn't so good.

The tax records don't tell you when distilleries opened and closed, but in any given year they tell you who made whiskey and who had whiskey in storage. Liberty Bank in Louisville compiled them for many years. Now I think the Kentucky Distillers Association does it. These fall into my hands from time to time but, for some reason, they aren't easy to get.

If the Getz were a real museum this is the kind of thing they would have on file.

[Hedmans Brorsa]

Thanks for the reply.

If we do not count distilleries established to replace defunct ones (Bernheim, Virginia Gentleman) or distilleries built to augment an already existing production (Jim Beam Boston), is it, then, Barton (1946?) which is the youngest working bourbon distillery? Or is it Maker´s Mark?

[brendaj]

Maker's is younger than Barton. Maker's just turned 50.
However, Maker's actually rebuilt the old, defunct Burks Springs Distillery. They did Happy Hollow Sour Mash, Burks' Springs Pure Rye, Belle of Loretto Rye and Burks' Spring Sweet Mash.

[cowdery]

Modest Brenda doesn't want to mention that the Burks were kin of hers.