Spirits · Louisville, Kentucky
Old Forester Distilling Co
The first bourbon sold only in sealed bottles, still made on Louisville's Whiskey Row.
- Founded
- 1870
- Founded by
- George Garvin Brown
- Based in
- Louisville, Kentucky
Making it since
1870
Their story
Old Forester was created in 1870 by George Garvin Brown, a pharmaceutical salesman turned whiskey merchant in Louisville. The company he started became Brown-Forman, which still owns the brand and remains largely controlled by the Brown family.
Brown's big idea was trust: Old Forester was the first bourbon sold only in sealed bottles, so buyers knew it had not been watered down or swapped. Through Prohibition, Brown-Forman was one of only six companies licensed to make whiskey for medicinal use, so the brand never stopped.
Today Old Forester Distilling Co. operates in its original building on Louisville's historic Whiskey Row, which the company used from 1882 to 1919.
How it's made
Old Forester is distilled and aged as Kentucky straight bourbon by Brown-Forman. The downtown Whiskey Row distillery lets visitors see the process from grain to bottle in the brand's historic home.
Why we carry them
We think of Old Forester as one of the great everyday bourbons, with a range that runs from easy mixers to bold, higher-proof bottles. Its history is woven into the story of American whiskey.
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