A Short history of Elijah Craig Distillers

Elijah Craig is part f the Heaven Hills Distilling Group.  Located in Bardstown, Kentucky in the heart of Bourbon territory.

The life and Legacy its founder

The following is drawn from The Elijah Craig website:

"Reverend Elijah Craig was a Baptist preacher, an educator, and an entrepreneur who built the first paper and wool mills in Georgetown, Kentucky. But for all his industries, it was his gift as a distiller and an innovator that brought him his greatest acclaim.  Through all the good, Elijah Craig was a Confederate.  While we draw inspiration from parts of Elijah Craig’s story as a distiller, a critical component of this history are the enslaved people who made major contributions to Bourbon. Elijah Craig was an enslaver, relying upon enslaved people to run his distilling and broader business operations."

FIRST TO CHAR. FIRST IN CLASS.

In 1789, Elijah Craig became the first distiller to age his whiskey in new charred oak barrels. Some claim that an accidental fire charred his barrels and changed the whiskey inside. Others say he stored his whiskey in former sugar barrels and was impressed with how charring improved the flavour.

However it happened, Elijah Craig knew he had discovered something great. He continued to refine the barrel charring process, imparting smooth, rich flavour to the spirit that would become known as Bourbon. 250 years later, he is still known as the Father of Bourbon—they craft our Bourbon today using the same time-honoured methods.