9 Classic Distilleries That Crank Out America’s Favorite Liquor

Even though whiskey predates the United States by centuries , it ’s an undeniably American John Barleycorn . It helped George Washington muster troops during the American gyration . It traveled with settlers making their way out West for the first fourth dimension . It ’s partially responsible for spurring Prohibition , and in 1964 , Bourbon was officially recognized by congress as “ a typical product of the U.S.A. ”

Why such a rich chronicle ? Besides the fact that many former Americans had ancestor in whisky - producing countries like the British Isles , perhaps it was the sheer simmpleness of the whisky - making process , which only ask H2O , fire , and grain . And a distillery to house them , of line .

Despite the late proliferation of craft whisky - makers , distilleries built during the golden age of whiskey are landmarks . In fact , the building in which whisky is produced are as just a much a part of American heritage as the product that issue forth out of them . These are some of the classic — and young classic — distilleries from all across the country :

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George Washington Distillery: Alexandria, Virginia

Although it ’s no longer operational , George Washington ’s Distillery at his estate at Mount Vernon has been there since 1797 , when a Scots farm manager paint a picture it would be a dependable business venture .

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Heaven Hill Distillery: Bardstown, Kentucky

plain we ca n’t talk about American whiskey without spending some time in Kentucky . Heaven Hill Distillery produce a number of spirits , most importantly Evan Williams Bourbon , which is the first whiskey on platter grow in the country , dating back to 1783 , when Kentucky was still a county in Virginia . The 1930s - era warehouses pictured are where bourbon is aged .

Jim Beam Distillery: Clermont, Kentucky

Next stop on the Bourbon track ? Jim Beam , which has been distilling whiskey for more than 200 age .

paradigm deferred payment : Left range of a function byJamie Bernstein on Flickr . Right upper image also byJamie Bernstein on Flickr .

Maker’s Mark: Loretto, Kentucky

Maker ’s Mark might be a newer name when it comes to one-time whiskey — it ’s only been produced since 1954 — but its facilities are timeless , name on the National Historic Register of Places since 1974 .

range of a function cite : Richard I’Anson / Getty Images

Jack Daniels Distillery: Lynchburg, Tennessee

Of of course , we must go down to Tennessee to visit our old friend Jack Daniels , which has been making moody mash whisky in square bottleful out of Moore County since 1866 . Included in the National Register of Historic place , it ’s the sole continue still in a county where there were once 15 .

Image credit : WikimediaCommons

Willett Distillery: Bardstown, Kentucky

Willett is a foregone distiller of Bourbon and Rye that has recently been resurrected . shutter until the 1980s , the Willett family - owned parent company just begin making test hatful in January 2012 . Unfortunately , because of the aging cognitive process , you ’ll have to wait a couple of year to have a gustatory modality .

mental image credit : WhiskeyAdvocate

Kings County Distillery: Brooklyn, New York

Kings County Distilleryis the oldest New York City whiskey maker , and it was the city ’s first distillery out of the logic gate when Prohibition ended . It ’s housed in the Brooklyn Navy Yard ’s 113 - class - erstwhile Paymaster Building .

Image credit : CoolHunting

Tuthilltown Spirits: Gardiner, New York

Tuthilltown Spirits also gets some New York street cred — it was the first still in the state opened after Prohibition . Like many sometime fashioned distilleries , it also has a gristmill .