BOURBON COUNTY REVIVAL

Whiskey has been distilled in Bourbon County since before her creation in 1785.  It is the birthplace of Bourbon Whiskey and where America’s Native Spirit derives its name. When the Prohibition Act went into effect in 1919 there were 26 distilleries in operation in Bourbon County.  They all closed, and no Bourbon was produced in the county for 95 years.  That all changed when my brother Andrew, and his partner Curtis Mackley founded the Hartfield & Co. Distillery.  

With a desire to restore the industry to its birthplace, we produced the first legally distilled Bourbon from Bourbon County on October 7, 2014.  The distillery is named after my ancestors Isaac and Leopold Hartfield who operated the Hartfield Distillery in Green County, Kentucky until it was destroyed by a fire in 1870.  We are passionate about gathering people around the finest craft spirits, and reviving the rich legacy of distilling in Bourbon County.  The Revival has begun!

Jeremy Buchanan - Master Distiller

EARLY HISTORY OF BOURBON COUNTY - THE BIRTHPLACE OF AMERICA’S SPIRIT

Bourbon County was created in 1785 when Kentucky was still a part of the state of Virginia.  In the wake of the American Revolutionary War the County was named after the French House of Bourbon in homage to the assistance that the French gave to the fledgling republic.  At that time there were seven counties in what is now Kentucky, and Bourbon County stretched over most of the eastern portion.  Although it was successively broken up into smaller counties, the area became colloquially known as Old Bourbon County.

Early Pioneers and Settlers into Kentucky brought their love and knowledge of whiskey making with them.  Although many settlers in the United State’s northeast produced Rye Whiskey, they switched their primary crop to corn, as the sweet grain grew better in the hot, humid south.  Much of the economy of Kentucky operated on a cash-less basis.  In order to produce a shelf-stable commodity many farmers and millers turned to distilling.  Those early pioneers crafted a sweet corn whiskey and stored it in charred oak barrels which softened or mellowed the harsh ethanol over time.

As Kentucky became a state in 1792, so much whiskey was being produced that it became an export.  With the Appalachian Mountain range to the East, Kentuckians began floating barrels down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, eventually making it as far as New Orleans.  An early Bourbon pioneer named Jacob Spears lived in Bourbon County and was famous for his sweet corn whiskey.  His son Noah spears loaded barrels of whiskey into Stoner Creek in Bourbon County which eventually feeds into the Ohio River.  He floated the barrels all the way to the Port of New Orleans and walked back each time.  It was recorded that he made the journey 11 times in his life. 

As the the sweet corn whiskey from Kentucky spread along trade routes in every direction, the legend of ‘Bourbon Whiskey’ was born.

ISAAC AND LEOPOLD HARTFIELD

Born in the early 1800’s, brothers Isaac and Leopold Hartfield immigrated to the United States from Germany.  They settled in what is now Green County Kentucky and built and operated the Hartfield Distillery from 1865 until it was destroyed by a fire in 1870.  

President and Master Distiller Jeremy Buchanan is a direct descendant of Isaac Hartfield.

PROHIBITION ENDS AN ERA

Prohibition in the United States was enacted in 1920 through the ratification of the 18th Amendment and the implementation of the Volstead Act, which banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors. This national movement was the culmination of decades of temperance advocacy, largely led by religious and social reformers who viewed alcohol as the root of moral decay, family disintegration, and economic inefficiency. In Kentucky—a state deeply rooted in bourbon production—the tension between cultural identity and moral reform was stark. Despite being home to some of the most iconic whiskey brands, many rural and religious communities in Kentucky supported Prohibition, seeing it as a means to reduce crime and elevate moral standards.

For Bourbon County, Prohibition was economically devastating. In 1920 before prohibition went into effect, there were 26 active distilleries all of which were shuttered, with some buildings destroyed, repurposed, or left to decay. The once-thriving bourbon economy collapsed, forcing families and towns that depended on distilling into hardship.  Nationally, the damage that prohibition wreaked on the economy was one of the contributing factors to the Great Depression.

While a few distilleries managed to survive by securing licenses to produce “medicinal whiskey,” none from Bourbon County were so fortunate. Although Prohibition only lasted 13 years, the change in the economy and cultural appetite for Bourbon Whiskey lingered long after, and the rich history of Bourbon production from Bourbon County was seemingly lost forever.

BRINGING BOURBON BACK TO BOURBON COUNTY

Four generations after Isaac and Leopold Hartfield crafted Bourbon Whiskey in Green County, their descendants Andrew and Jeremy Buchanan stepped into the story.  After growing up in modern day Bourbon County, the brothers were surprised to learn about the rich legacy of distilling, both in their family and in the County they called home.

Jeremy tells the story, ‘Bourbon just kept getting bigger, and my brother and I got into Bourbon after college.  We were sharing a bottle one night, and noted how odd it was that there were no distilleries in the birthplace of the spirit, where we grew up.  The history of all of those distilleries was lost, and no one really talked about it in Bourbon County.  That really stuck with my brother, who is an incredibly creative person.  The idea of bringing Bourbon Back to Bourbon County became an obsession.  He started tinkering with a small still in his basement, fermenting corn in a five gallon bucket.  Within months he shared that he was going to open a distillery, and make history.’

Andrew launched ‘The Gentleman Distillery’ in 2014 with his business partner Curtis Mackley on Main Street in Paris.  The news was met with great fanfare around Kentucky as distilleries small and large celebrated the return of Bourbon to Bourbon County.  After researching several different mashbills Andrew ran the first legally distilled Bourbon from Bourbon County since prohibition on October 7th, 2014.  Using 62% Corn, 19% Rye, and 19% Malted Barley - the recipe became the base for Hartfield’s iconic “Pre-Prohibition Style” Bourbon Whiskey.  A new chapter in the history of the Bourbon Industry in Bourbon County had begun.

EMBRACING THE FUTURE, HONORING THE PAST

After a brief trademark dispute with a larger distillery, ‘The Gentleman Distillery’ was rebranded in 2015 as the ‘Hartfield & Co Distillery’ to honor Andrew’s Four-Great Grandfather.  The distillery quickly grew and expanded to its current location on the corner of Pleasant and 4th Street in historic Paris.  Andrew’s brother, Jeremy, and his father Reid Buchanan joined the company in 2016 buying out Andrew’s former partners. Actress Kayley Cuoco became a silent partner in the venture further fueling Hartfield’s rise.  Hartfield & Co joined the Kentucky Distiller’s Association and became a stop on the famed Kentucky Bourbon Trail, enjoying the incredible growth of the industry.

With the launch of the Hartfield & Co. Pre-Prohibition line of Bourbons, the company continued to grow, expanding distribution to 11 states and one province in Canada.  As 2020 began, the distillery was preparing for another busy tourism season when the Covid 19 Pandemic changed history for the entire world.  With the loss of the tourism season, like many distillers, Hartfield turned to manufacturing hand sanitizer, filling orders all across the country.  

In 2021 Hartfield & Co launched the ‘Kentucky Spirits Limited’ line of Bourbon and Rye Whiskeys.  Given the lack of in-person events, H&C began hosting virtual bourbon tastings.  Partnering with other distillers, H&C mailed thousands of tasting kits to clients all over the US, leading hundreds of tastings over video chat.  Working with Bourbon Influencers like Fred Minnick and Distilled Living, H&C innovated to bring Bourbon Tastings to living rooms and home offices.

As life began returning to normal, Master Distiller and Founder Andrew Buchanan made the difficult decision to leave Hartfield & Co. to spend time with his growing family and pursue other passions.  Jeremy stepped in as Master Distiller and President of the company in October 2021.

As Hartfield continued to grow, Jeremy began working on several new product lines.  ‘Old Bourbon County’ was launched in September 2023 at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival and was Hartfield’s first Straight Bourbon Whiskey ever released.  The sweet ‘wheated’ mashbill is aged in modern style 53-gallon barrels, and pays homage to all of the incredible history of Bourbon Production from the region.

In October 2024, Hartfield & Co celebrated the ten year anniversary of the return of Bourbon to Bourbon County with the release of the Hartfield Family Reserve - 9 Year.  With an initial release of 10 barrels, the Family Reserve was met with much fan-fare and is a favorite for collectors.  Old Bourbon County and Hartfield Family Reserve continue to win awards and acclaim from critics and Bourbon lovers the world over.

Join us as we create history, reviving the industry to the birthplace of Bourbon Whiskey.  We’ll see you in Bourbon County!