It’s the bottle on the shelf you recognize at every liquor store. It’s the classic bourbon that you grew up seeing in your dad’s cabinet.
Jim Beam is an industry legend — it’s liquid history, deeply American, and founded in family. As the World’s No. 1bourbon brand, Jim Beam’s familiar flavor profile that is a balance of vanilla, caramel, and seasoned oak has become a reliable favorite of whiskey drinkers everywhere. But bourbon doesn’t get this good overnight.
An entire history of Kentucky excellence and innovation stands behind Jim Beam’s success, cementing the James B. Beam Distilling Co. as one of the great leaders of bourbon distilling.
200 Years of Liquid Legacy
The Beam family came to the American colonies in 1740 and settled in western Pennsylvania before moving to Kentucky. The area’s hot summers and limestone springs made it an ideal place to grow corn. Jacob Beam distilled this corn using his father’s whiskey recipe and crafted a new, sweeter version that set the stage for almost 230 years of bourbon innovation and quality.
Jacob began selling the bourbon, and by the time he passed the distillery, Old Tub, onto his son David, it was a lauded favorite among the locals. David expanded the distillery and used column stills for more efficient, continuous production.
Soon, the distillers at Old Tub began charring barrels, which led to the sugars caramelizing over time, creating a more dynamic caramel flavor profile, and a beautiful color, to boot. Then, David Beam moved the
