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 Beam (a.k.a. the legendary Jim Beam) who took the reins in 1894 and helped rebuild the distillery in Clermont following Prohibition. It was also Jim Beam who is credited with first catching the family yeast strain that is still used in its bourbon today. Jim’s son, who re-founded the distillery in 1935, renamed the bourbon Jim Beam in honor of his father.

Jim Beam proudly touts itself as the “First Family of Bourbon,” with eight generations of the Beam family having been involved in production. Today, the great-grandson of Jim Beam, Fred Noe, along with his son Freddie, continue the Beam tradition as the respective seventh and eighth generation Master Distillers.

During each step of its bourbon production, Jim Beam is committed to providing products that offer the rare combination of craftsmanship, consistency, and innovation. Whether you’re sipping a glass of Jim Beam at home or at your favorite local haunt, you can be sure it’s a high-quality bourbon, and one that the Beam family is proud to call its own.

Header photography by: Grant Moxley

This article is sponsored by the James B. Beam Distilling Co.

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