The “Doctor of Modern Bourbon”
Dr. James C. Crow is one of the most important and well-known figures in bourbon history. Specifically, he improved the methods and techniques of distillation, which ultimately led to a better and more consistent product.
Dr. Crow, the Father of Modern Bourbon
Photo courtesy: Jim Beam Brands
He was born in 1789 in Scotland, where he graduated with degrees in Chemistry and Medicine from the prestigious University of Edinburgh. Afterwards, he moved to the USA and applied his knowledge to the art of distillation and whiskey production. The first to use the scientific method and advances in science at the time, he was able to measure and adjust many factors, such as temperature, pH and sugar concentration. He also is credited as the first distiller to use the "Sour Mash" technique. All of this allowed him to make purer and more consistent bourbon whiskey.
After moving to Kentucky in 1835, he began working at the Glenn's Creek Distillery. He then moved to the Old Pepper Distillery in 1838 to work as the Master Distiller. His brands, Old Crow and Old Pepper, were the most prominent for decades, being known as the favorite pours of many famous whiskey drinkers, such as Presidents Andrew Jackson and Ulysses S. Grant, Mark Twain, and John Wayne.
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