When I first decided to write this article, I was a bit uneasy. Anytime you write about alcoholic beverages, you have to take the bad with the good. Alcohol has caused major problems for some people and has even claimed lives. Still, there are those that enjoy the product and use it wisely. This article isn’t to go into why alcohol is bad or good. It is to give you a history and the story behind Jack Daniels Whiskey.
The company was founded in 1875 by Jack Daniels in Lynchburg, Tennessee. the product has been featured in films, books, and songs. This is especially true for Country music. Because of it’s use and involvement, it has become a small part of our American way of life.
Jack Daniel was born in 1950. At the young age of 16, he became a licensed distiller. He may have been the youngest licensed distiller in history. If not the youngest, he is at least one of the youngest. The Jack Daniels distillery was founded in 1875. There are deeds to back this up. Young Jack was one of thirteen children of Scotch and Welsh descent. He never married himself. He took his favorite nephew Lem Motlow under his wing.
Motlow had a knack for using numbers. Right before Jack died from blood poison, he gave his nephew the business. Jack died in 1911. The blood poison came in an usual way. Jack had become frustrated when his safe wouldn’t open, so he kicked it and injured his foot. The injury lead to blood poison and eventually his death. Lem lived until 1947. Under him the company became incorporated as Jack Daniels Distillery.
The distillery is located in Moore County. What is odd is that you can’t purchase liquor in that county because it is considered a dry county.
Tennessee Whiskey is similar to bourbon. However, it is filtered through sugar maple charcoal in large wooden vats prior to aging. Jack Daniels is made from pure spring water that they get from right next to their distillery. It is generally believed that is why the distillery has never moved from it’s place of origin.
In October 2004, it was agreed to bottle the alcohol at 80 US proof. That is actually 40% alcohol. this is the highest allowed by the federal government.
Down through the years the beverage has been used for everything. It has been used for mixed drinks, to medicine, and even straight shots. It has even been used for cooking purposes. It has been used for Barbecue Sauces and in meat preparation. Some medical doctors from the past, have even recommended it in drinks called “hot toddies.” Individuals that come in from extreme cold temperatures are given a quick shot to warm up their bodies. Jack Daniels Whiskey is one of the most recognized and used whiskeys at bars in the United States.
In September of 1972, the distillery was listed on the American whiskey Trail and the National Register of Historic Places. They have even sponsored a car in NASCAR Racing.
They have about 400 employees and their net take in is about 122 million dollars a year.
When you purchase Jack Daniels by the bottle at the store, you are going to pay more than you would for a regular bottle of whiskey. This is mainly because of it’s popularity as well as quality of the product. It is currently owned by the Brown-Forman Corporation.
sources; www.jackdaniels.com
