James ‘Jim’ Beauregard Beam was the third son of David M. Beam. In 1888, at age of 24, James was selected to carry on the family legacy when his father asked him to lead the family business, and he went on to create the bourbon dynasty we know today.

During Prohibition, James went into several different industries (mining and citrus farming in Florida) – however, as soon as Prohibition was abolished in 1933, it was back to work. This is when James recreated the family yeast on his front porch – the same yeast that is used in the batches made today.

Skilfully leading the business through the Prohibition and the Great Depression, James put Jim Beam on the map – first in Kentucky and then America.

T. Jeremiah (TJ) Beam was the son of James B. Beam. TJ went on to become a global ambassador for the Jim Beam brand, and continued to serve a valuable role after the company was sold in the 1960s.

TJ’s many trips to Europe helped to bring the Jim Beam brand (and bourbon) abroad, and his genuine and warm persona played a key role in translating the personality of the Jim Beam brand to an overseas audience.

Frederick Booker Noe II was the grandson of James B. Beam.

At the age of 21, Booker started working at the distilleries and learned about all aspects of the bourbon-making process. Described as both inquisitive and ingenious, Booker worked with Carl Beam, the Master Distiller at the time, to ensure the quality of Jim Beam (White) was produced to the standards set out by Jim Beam himself.

Booker’s early ingenuity set the trajectory for how he would work in all facets of the distillation and maturation process, which later made him the Master Distiller with a blessing from T. Jeremiah Beam: ‘He’ll do just fine carrying on the family name.’

While Booker’s personality and approach to bourbon-making were different to Carl Beams (who was considered more traditional), his love for bourbon and its nuances was evident in his work ethic. He tinkered with and tweaked the distilling equipment to yield new flavor notes, and selected barrels and ‘sweet spots’ in warehouses with a specific flavor profile in mind.

Over time, Booker made small batches of special bourbon. He would share these batches with friends and people in the bourbon industry, and as the interest in these batches grew, he launched Booker’s in 1988.

In 1992, Basil Hayden, Knob Creek, and Baker’s followed, and Booker’s ‘Small Batch Collection’ was complete. Booker’s collection launched at a time where bourbon was seen as a tired ‘grandfather drink’, reigniting the bourbon industry.

Bookers legacy as the big man of small batches – a genuine innovator in bourbon and whiskey – makes him the ‘second strongest link’ in the family and history of the James B. Beam Distilling Co.

Fred Noe, son of Booker Noe, continued to grow the success of the Small Batch Collection and made Knob Creek the first of the four batches to go global in 1998.

Much like Booker, Fred was instrumental in growing the Jim Beam brand. Fred leads the expansion of the Jim Beam portfolio through innovations such as Jim Beam Double Oak, Devil’s Cut, and Signature Craft.

Fred also expanded the Knob Creek range with the Rye variant, as well as the Single Barrel bourbon and the special 25th-anniversary edition.

Freddie, the 8th generation and up-and-coming Master Distiller, is learning the bourbon-making craft from Fred. He launched his innovative Little Book bourbon, and several editions to follow (The Easy, Noe Simple Task, The Road Home, and Lessons Honored).

Both Fred and Freddie have protected and carried on the integrity, honesty, and perseverance exemplified by James B. Beam, and continue to move bourbon forward through innovation.

Kentucky is famous for its limestone water, which is ideal for making bourbon as it contains nutrients that yeast needs in order to thrive. In the early days, Jacob Beam dug his own well (which still exists today). For years, the distillery drew water from local sources including Long Lick Creek, Bottle house Lake, and Sportsman Lake. Eventually, the company built a large lake across what is now the 245 highway.

After prohibition, James ‘Jim’ B. Beam recreated the family yeast on his front porch – the same yeast that is used in the batches made today. A closely guarded family secret, James B. Beam would take a jug of yeast home every weekend for safekeeping. And today, more than 85 years later, his great-grandson still upholds that same tradition.

The history of Jim Beam is the history of a Kentucky family with a passion for distilling bourbon. At Clermont, everyone is welcomed and treated as family – whether it be a long-time friend or a competing bourbon distiller. Through seven generations, the Beams have been producing genuine American bourbon, and there’s no sign of slowing down.