The Seagram's Distillery (also known as the Calvert Distillery) is a historic building complex in
Louisville, Kentucky, on Seventh Street Road. It was originally constructed between 1933 and 1936 for the production of
bourbon whiskey
Bourbon () is a type of barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn. The name derives from the French Bourbon dynasty, although the precise source of inspiration is uncertain; contenders include Bourbon County in Kentucky and Bourbo ...
by Distillers Corporation Limited, who acquired
Joseph E. Seagram
Joseph Emm Seagram (April 15, 1841 – August 18, 1919) was a Canadians, Canadian Distilled beverage, distillery founder, politician, philanthropist, and major owner of thoroughbred racehorses.
Early life
Joseph Seagram was born April 15, 1841 at ...
& Sons (later renamed to
The Seagram Company Ltd.
The Seagram Company Ltd. (which traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Originally a distiller of Canadian whisky based in Waterloo, Ontario, it was once (in the 1990s) the la ...
) in 1928.
The Seagram company has since ceased operation, and its assets were acquired by other companies, notably
The Coca-Cola Company,
Diageo
Diageo plc () is a Multinational corporation, multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world. It was the world's largest distiller before being overtaken by Kweich ...
, and
Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''Pernod'' or ''Ricard''). The world’s second-largest wine and spirits seller, it also produ ...
.
Background
Following the end of
Prohibition in 1933, many
distilleries began to reopen. New distilleries were constructed in an area southwest of Louisville known then as St. Helens. The city of Louisville was understandably eager to
annex
Annex or Annexe refers to a building joined to or associated with a main building, providing additional space or accommodations.
It may also refer to:
Places
* The Annex, a neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada
* The Annex (New H ...
the lucrative St. Helens area, but in 1938 the
Kentucky General Assembly passed a bill requiring that at least 50% of the residents of an
incorporated area approve annexation by a "Class I" city (a definition which included only Louisville). Two months later, this area, including all of the distilleries, was incorporated as
Shively, ending Louisville's annexation attempt.
Design and historical use
The complex was designed by Louisville architectural firm Joseph & Joseph. The main office building was built in 1933 in the
Regency revival style, and served as Seagram's headquarters for the state of Kentucky. The
Art deco brick warehouses were constructed in 1936, and included a system of tunnels so that barrels of bourbon could be moved around the complex without being seen by the public.
The Seagrams landscape was cultivated into a wide green campus, complete with mature trees.
Seagram's Distillery was officially opened in May 1937 during the week of the
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...
to a crowd of 71,000 people.
Seagram's claimed it was the largest distillery in the world at that time.
Vice president
Samuel Bronfman hired Frederick Willkie, brother of former
Republican nominee for the
1940 presidential election Wendell L. Willkie
Wendell Lewis Willkie (born Lewis Wendell Willkie; February 18, 1892 – October 8, 1944) was an American lawyer, corporate executive and the 1940 History of the United States Republican Party, Republican nominee for President of the United State ...
to be in charge of production.
Seagram's products at the time included
Seagram's Seven Crown and
Kessler Whiskey.
The complex also produced industrial alcohol during
World War II for the production of
synthetic rubber
A synthetic rubber is an artificial elastomer. They are polymers synthesized from petroleum byproducts. About 32-million metric tons of rubbers are produced annually in the United States, and of that amount two thirds are synthetic. Synthetic rubbe ...
and
medicines.
Seagram's closed the distillery in 1983.
Current use
Paul Hornung and
Frank Metts bought the old distillery complex, sold half, and kept the other half to establish Golden Foods/Golden Brands (which has since been bought by Aarhuskarlshamn, a company in the same market), a
vegetable oil and
shortening company.
Seagram's former headquarters is occupied by Dismas Charities.
Other occupants include Parallel Products
and
Kentuckiana Tank Wash.
See also
*
History of Louisville, Kentucky
References
{{coord, 38, 12, 55.5, N, 85, 46, 59.7, W, type:landmark_region:US-KY, display=title
Buildings and structures in Louisville, Kentucky
History of Louisville, Kentucky
Bourbon whiskey
1937 establishments in Kentucky
Distilleries in Kentucky
Seagram