Bourbon From Bourbon County

Hartfield & Co. Distillery is the only distillery located in the birthplace of Bourbon Whiskey - Bourbon County, Kentucky. With a dedication to producing the finest craft spirits we are proud to be the first distillery to legally produce Bourbon in Bourbon County since prohibition was enacted in 1919. We love sharing our passion for great whiskey so book a tour or drop in for a tasting and come and experience Bourbon from Bourbon County!

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A Brief History of Bourbon Whiskey

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.

Many of the barrels that originated in Bourbon County were stamped for their county of origin. As people began seeking out the corn whiskey from Bourbon County it eventually became known as Bourbon Whiskey.

Isaac and Leopold Hartfield

Hartfield & Co.

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