The Narrative:

Brown-Forman was founded in 1870 by George Garvin Brown. At the time he was a young pharmaceuticals salesman in Louisville who had an idea to sell high-quality whiskey in sealed glass bottles. He started J.T.S. Brown and Bro. with his half brother. They sold their whiskey in sealed glass bottles as an assurance of quality. This was an innovative approach for the time since whiskey was most commonly sold by the barrel. The initial flagship brand was Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 

After company name changes and the dissolution of the founding partnership, George Garvin enters into a new partnership with George Forman, who was his accountant and friend. The new business was named Brown-Forman and Company.

Owsley Brown, George Garvin Brown’s son, applied for and received a license to bottle whisky for medicinal purposes in 1920. Owsley Brown was responsible for acquisitions of Early Times, and Labrot & Graham Distillery that was originally founded by whiskey pioneer, Elijah Pepper. Brown-Forman would eventually acquire the Jack Daniel Distillery in 1956. Labrot & Graham Distillery was later changed to Woodford Reserve Distillery in 2003. 

Brown-Forman Distillery continues to produce some of the best whiskey’s on the market with brands such as Old Forester, Early Times, Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniel’s and new brands to the market with Cooper’s Craft.