W.A. Gaines and Company was a liquor (

distilled beverage Liquor (or a spirit) is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar, that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit drink, distilled beverage or hard li ...

) company that specialized in American-made

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 cask ...

s. Originally started as the partnership Gaines, Berry & Co. in 1862, it was reorganized in 1868 as W.A. Gaines and Company and later became a joint stock company in 1887. Among the company's investors and officers was

Edson Bradley Edson Bradley, Jr. (May 9, 1852 – June 20, 1935) was president of Kentucky whiskey distiller W.A. Gaines and Company of Frankfort, Kentucky. He owned the exclusive rights to the "Old Crow" whisky label. Biography Bradley was born on May 9, 1852, ...

History

Brands included Old Crow and Old Hermitage. W.A. Gaines erected the Hermitage

distillery Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heati ...

in 1868, and were the largest producers of fine "

sour mash Sour mash (or sourmash) is a process used in the distilling industry that uses material from an older batch of mash to start the fermentation of a new batch, analogous to the making of sourdough bread with a starter. The term can also be used a ...

" whiskeys in the world. Its owners were accused of being major players in the "

Whiskey Trust 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 cas ...

", but that was never proved. The involvement of W.A. Gaines and Co. in the whiskey industry ended with

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 alcoholic ...

. National Distillers, which owned the distillery and

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

from the end of Prohibition until 1987, continued to use the W.A. Gaines and Company name. Jim Beam bought National in 1987.

References

{{coord, 38.1982, -84.8775, type:landmark, display=title Bourbon whiskey Distilleries in Kentucky 1862 establishments in Kentucky

History

See also

References