Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. is a private, American family-owned and operated
distillery founded in 1935 and headquartered in
Bardstown, Kentucky
Bardstown is a home rule-class city in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 11,700 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nelson County.
Bardstown is named for the pioneering Bard brothers. David Bard obtained a l ...
, that produces and markets the Heaven Hill brand of
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
Straight
Straight may refer to:
Slang
* Straight, slang for heterosexual
** Straight-acting, an LGBT person who does not exhibit the appearance or mannerisms of the gay stereotype
* Straight, a member of the straight edge subculture
Sport and games
* ...
Bourbon Whiskey and a variety of other distilled
spirits
Spirit or spirits may refer to:
Liquor and other volatile liquids
* Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks
* Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol
* Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...
.
Its current distillery facility, called the Heaven Hill Bernheim distillery, is in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
. It is the seventh-largest
alcohol supplier in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, the second-largest holder of
bourbon whiskey inventory in the world, the largest, independent, family-owned and operated producer and marketer of distilled spirits in the United States,
and the only large family-owned distillery company headquartered in
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
(not counting
Brown-Forman Corporation, which is publicly traded but more than two-thirds family-controlled, or
Sazerac Company
Sazerac Company, Inc is a privately held American alcoholic beverage company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana, but with its principal office in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is owned by billionair ...
, which is family-owned but headquartered in
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
).
History
Heaven Hill was founded by several investors shortly after the repeal of
Prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...
in 1935, including a prominent distiller, Joseph L. Beam, and a member of the Shapira family.
As the company developed, the five brothers of the Shapira family bought out the other investors. Joe Beam remained as Master Distiller, along with his youngest son, Harry. Descendants of the Shapira brothers own and operate the company today.
All of the Master Distillers at Heaven Hill since its founding have been members of the Beam family. The original Master Distiller was Joseph L. Beam,
Jim Beam
Jim Beam is an American brand of bourbon whiskey produced in Clermont, Kentucky, by Beam Suntory. It is one of the best-selling brands of bourbon in the world. Since 1795 (interrupted by Prohibition in the United States, Prohibition), seven gene ...
's first cousin. He was followed by his son, Harry, who was followed by Earl Beam, the son of
Jim Beam
Jim Beam is an American brand of bourbon whiskey produced in Clermont, Kentucky, by Beam Suntory. It is one of the best-selling brands of bourbon in the world. Since 1795 (interrupted by Prohibition in the United States, Prohibition), seven gene ...
's brother, Park. Earl Beam was succeeded by the current Master Distillers, Parker Beam and his son, Craig Beam.
The original name was "Old Heavenhill Springs" distillery.
The company was founded as a
bourbon distillery,
with a model focused on providing bulk whiskey for third parties on a basis of
futures
Futures may mean:
Finance
*Futures contract, a tradable financial derivatives contract
*Futures exchange, a financial market where futures contracts are traded
* ''Futures'' (magazine), an American finance magazine
Music
* ''Futures'' (album), a ...
(a buyer would purchase fresh whiskey, to be held in Heaven Hill's warehouses until the buyer paid the government tax to have it released). It also focused on its flagship bourbon labels,
Evan Williams and
Elijah Craig. In the past two decades the company has expanded its portfolio, acquiring brands or obtaining import rights for
gins, malt
whiskey
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ...
,
vodka
Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuriti ...
s, and other drinks.
On November 7, 1996, Heaven Hill's production
plant
Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclu ...
(registered plant DSP-KY-31
[Bourbon Distilled Spirits Plant (DSP) Numbers]
BourbonDriker.com, January 15, 2010.) was almost completely destroyed by fire.
The fire started in an aging warehouse and spread to other buildings and vehicles. 90,000 barrels of flammable bourbon were consumed. A "river of fire" flowed from the warehouses. From one account of the fire: "Flames leapt hundreds of feet into the air and lit the sky throughout the night. Witnesses reported seeing whiskey barrels explode and rocket across the sky like shooting stars ... a two-mile long stretch of the creek that supplied process water to the distillery was set ablaze for a brief time."
The company survived the next several years through the provision of production capacity by its fellow local bourbon labels, Brown-Forman and Jim Beam, until its purchase and adaptation of the Bernheim distillery in
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
(registered plant DSP-KY-1,
[) from Diageo in 1999. While fermenting, mashing, and distilling occurs at the new distillery, aging, bottling, and shipping still occur in Bardstown.
With the 2003 acquisition of distribution rights to ]Hpnotiq
Hpnotiq (pronounced "hypnotic") is an alcoholic beverage. It is native to New York, but bottled in France by Heaven Hill Distilleries, made from fruit juices, vodka and cognac. It is 34 proof (17% ABV) and is available in over 70 countries.
Hi ...
, Heaven Hill greatly expanded their product base beyond bourbon. Hpnotiq is now the fourth highest selling imported liqueur in the US. While bourbon is still its main focus, Heaven Hill now distributes a wide variety of different products.
The Heaven Hill company strongly emphasizes the history and traditions of bourbon in its public relations, highlighting the company's location in the historical home of bourbon-making and its status as the only such company still under local ownership. In 2004, the Heaven Hill Distilleries Bourbon Heritage Center was opened on the old distillery grounds, providing historical exhibits and guided tour
Tour or Tours may refer to:
Travel
* Tourism, travel for pleasure
* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service
* Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus
* Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...
s of the plant
Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclu ...
. The company also hosts the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival
The Kentucky Bourbon Festival is a weeklong activity consisting of more than thirty events in Bardstown, Kentucky, United States, dedicated to celebrating the history and art of distilling bourbon whiskey. The organizers of the festival promot ...
, and several of the company's brands are named after famous local distillers.
Since 2010, Heaven Hill has invested more than $100m in distillery expansions, warehouse construction, and Bourbon tourism. In November 2018, Heaven Hill announced a $65m multi-year investment into expanding operations, which includes a renovation of the Bourbon Heritage Center.
In September 2021, about 420 workers, all members of the United Food and Commercial Workers
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is a labor union representing approximately 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada in industries including retail; meatpacking, food processing and manufacturing; hosp ...
union, went on strike due to disagreements over the terms of a new labor contract.
Production process
Heaven Hill Bourbon is made from a mash composed of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. The barrels used for aging have a #3 char. Prior to bottling, the whiskey is chill filtered through charcoal at .
Brands
As noted, Heaven Hill's traditional product has been bourbon; however, the company now oversees a broad range of labels. The company's labels include:
Bourbon brands
* Cabin Still
Cabin Still Bourbon is a Bourbon whiskey distilled in Louisville, Kentucky and bottled in Bardstown, Kentucky by the Heaven Hill
Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. is a private, American family-owned and operated distillery founded in 1935 and hea ...
Bourbon
* Echo Spring Bourbon
* Elijah Craig Bourbon
* Evan Williams Bourbon
* Fighting Cock Bourbon
* Heaven Hill Bourbon
* Henry McKenna
Henry may refer to:
People
* Henry (given name)
* Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portuga ...
Bourbon
* J.T.S. Brown Bourbon
* J.W. Dant Bourbon
* Kentucky Straight Bourbon
* Kentucky Supreme Bourbon
* Larceny Bourbon
* Old Fitzgerald
Old Fitzgerald is a brand of wheated bourbon distilled in Louisville, Kentucky by Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.
History
Old Fitzgerald was first produced in 1870 for rail and steamship lines and private clubs located primarily in the south by ...
Bourbon
* Private Cellar
* Parkers Heritage Collection
* T.W. Samuels Bourbon
* Virgin Bourbon
Other brands
* Admiral Nelson's Spiced Rum
* Ansac Cognac
* Arandas Tequila
* Aristocrat Vodka/Whiskey/Gin/Tequila (first marketed in 1991)
* Bernheim Original
Bernheim Original is a wheat whiskey produced in Bardstown, Kentucky by Heaven Hill Distilleries
Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. is a private, American family-owned and operated distillery founded in 1935 and headquartered in Bardstown, Kentuc ...
straight wheat whiskey
* Black Velvet Canadian whisky
* Blackheart Premium Spiced Rum
* Burnett's Gin
* Burnett's Vodka
* Christian Brothers Brandy/Holiday Nog/Ports & Sherries
* Copa De Oro Coffee Liqueur
* Coronet VSQ
* Deep Eddy Vodka
* Du Bouchett
* Dubonnet
Dubonnet (, , ) is a sweet, aromatised wine-based quinquina, often enjoyed as an aperitif. It is a blend of fortified wine, herbs, and spices (including a small amount of quinine), with fermentation being stopped by the addition of alcohol. ...
* Fulton's Harvest Pumpkin Pie Cream Liqueur
* Fulton's Harvest Apple Pie Cream Liqueur
* Georgia Moon corn whiskey
Corn whiskey is an American liquor made principally from corn. Distinct from the stereotypical American moonshine, in which sugar is normally added to the mash, corn whiskey uses a traditional mash process, and is subject to the tax and identity ...
* Glen Salen Pure Malt Scotch Whisky
* Heaven Hill Kentucky Whiskey
* Hpnotiq Liqueur
* Isle of Jura Single Malt
* Kentucky Deluxe
Heaven Hill Kentucky Whiskey is an American blended whiskey produced in Bardstown, Kentucky by Heaven Hill Distilleries. The company sells a variety of blended whiskeys and straight bourbons in 16 oz (1 pint), 750ml, and 1-liter glass bottles, a ...
Blended Whiskey
* Lunazul
Lunazul Tequila is a 100% blue agave tequila produced by the Tierra de Agaves company.
History
Francisco Beckmann, a former co-owner of the tequila brand José Cuervo, founded the Tierra de Agaves company in 2002. Lunazul tequila is grown, dist ...
* Mellow Corn Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey
Corn whiskey is an American liquor made principally from corn. Distinct from the stereotypical American moonshine, in which sugar is normally added to the mash, corn whiskey uses a traditional mash process, and is subject to the tax and identity ...
* O'Mara's Irish Country Cream
* PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
* Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey
Rye whiskey can refer to two different, but related, types of whiskey:
* American rye whiskey, which is similar to bourbon whiskey, but must be distilled from at least 51 percent rye grain
* Canadian whisky, which is often referred to as (and ...
* Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whiskey
Rye whiskey can refer to two different, but related, types of whiskey:
* American rye whiskey, which is similar to bourbon whiskey, but must be distilled from at least 51 percent rye grain
* Canadian whisky, which is often referred to as (and ...
* Ron Leave Rum
* Two Fingers Tequila
* Whaler's Original Rum
See also
* List of Kentucky companies
This is a list of Kentucky company, companies which includes notable companies that are headquartered in Kentucky, or were previously headquartered in Kentucky.
Companies based in Kentucky 0–9
* 21c Museum Hotels
A
* A&W Restaurants
* Alltec ...
* List of historic whisky distilleries
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Official website
Heaven Hill Distilleries Bourbon Heritage Center
The Whisky Portal
{{coord, 38.2448, -85.7815, type:landmark, display=title
Bourbon whiskey
Bardstown, Kentucky
Distilleries in Kentucky
Food and drink companies established in 1935
American companies established in 1935
1935 establishments in Kentucky
Alcoholic drink brands
Privately held companies based in Kentucky
Family-owned companies of the United States