America’s Hardest Working Still: The Distillation Process Behind Jim Beam [Infographic]

As the No. 1 best-selling bourbon brand in the world, Jim Beam is a name that’s recognized by just about any whiskey drinker. From its proprietary mash bill to the closely guarded yeast strain to its Kentucky pure limestone-filtered water, the company’s focus on quality and tradition sets the brand apart.

Known today as the James B. Beam Distilling Company, its homestead and distillery is based in Clermont, Ky. The company’s range of bourbons, which include its flagship Jim Beam, are a fixture in restaurants, bars, and stores across the globe. And while the company’s legacy has been centuries in the making, one that stretches more than 225 years, it all began quite simply with a farmer named Jacob Beam and a whole lot of corn.

The son of German immigrants, Jacob Beam settled in what is today the state of Kentucky, where the four-season climate and nutrient-rich soil created the ideal growing conditions for corn. With his surplus crop and his father’s whiskey recipe, Beam distilled his own take on the beloved spirit — a sweeter corn-based iteration of whiskey — and went on to sell his first batch straight from the barrel in 1795. The spirit was a local hit and his one-man operation grew from there. Little did Beam know that his product would ignite a passion and legacy that would continue for years to come.

While Jacob Beam’s son David would help to transform the small company into a nationally recognized brand, it was James Beauregard