Old Forester Mint Julep Bourbon Cocktail

About Old Forester

During the late 19th century, an overwhelming number of distilleries throughout the United States were still not aging their whiskey. As a result, some retailers would add juices and syrups to sweeten the whiskey, while others would add acid and tobacco to give their whiskey its signature amber hue.

In 1870, George Garvin Brown — a young pharmaceuticals salesman from Kentucky — saw the need for a consistently high-quality whiskey that would remain unadulterated after distillation. After saving $5,500, Brown and his brother formed J.T.S. Brown & Bro. and began batching barrels of bourbon from reputable Louisville distilleries for a consistent flavor profile that would become Old Forester. Unlike other bourbon producers at the time, Brown bottled his bourbon in sealed glass bottles to ensure authenticity and quality, making Old Forester the first bottled bourbon on the market. Since its introduction in 1870, Old Forester has been on the market continuously, even during Prohibition, when it continued to be sold for medicinal purposes. It is the only bourbon continuously distilled and marketed by the founding family before, during, and after Prohibition.