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Early Times is a brand of Kentucky
whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...
produced by the
Sazerac Company Sazerac Company, Inc. is a privately held American alcoholic beverage company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana, but with its principal office in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is owned by William ...
, one of the two largest spirits companies in the United States, which purchased the brand in mid-2020. Before the brand purchase, it was distilled in
Shively, Kentucky Shively is a home rule-class city in Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States, and a suburb of Louisville within the Louisville Metro government. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 15,264, reflecting an increase of 107 (+0.7%) ...
, by the Brown-Forman Corporation, another of the largest
North American North America is a continent in the Northern and Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the sou ...
-owned companies in the
spirits Spirit(s) commonly refers to: * Liquor, a distilled alcoholic drink * Spirit (animating force), the non-corporeal essence of living things * Spirit (supernatural entity), an incorporeal or immaterial being Spirit(s) may also refer to: Liquids ...
and
wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...
business. While Early Times is marketed outside the U.S. as
bourbon Bourbon may refer to: Food and drink * Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash * Bourbon, a beer produced by Brasseries de Bourbon * Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit * Bourbon coffee, a type of coffee ma ...
, the whiskey does not meet all the U.S. regulated criteria for bourbon – and hence, is marketed within the U.S. as whiskey rather than as bourbon whiskey. It also uses the Scottish spelling instead of the Irish spelling, and labels itself as a whisky.


History

The Early Times Whisky brand production started at Early Times Station,
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
, and was introduced in 1860. The Kentucky water surrounding the "Station" was used for making the whiskey. The water naturally filtered through limestone springs. Early Times was not popular until 1920 when Congress passed the
Volstead Act The National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was an act of the 66th United States Congress designed to execute the 18th Amendment (ratified January 1919) which established the prohibition of alcoholic drinks. The Anti- ...
and
Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...
began. The brand prospered due to its maker having a license to continue production for medicinal purposes. The Brown–Forman Company acquired the Early Times brand in 1923, and over the next 30 years made Early Times the best-selling whisky in the country. It later became sold in over 40 countries. It ranks as one of the top four selling Kentucky whiskeys in the world, and in 2005 it became the top selling Kentucky whisky in Japan.The Early Times Story
Early Times official web site
In mid-2020, the brand was sold to the Sazerac Company.


Production and products

Before the sale to Sazerac, the brand was owned by Brown-Forman and was produced at the Brown-Forman Distillery in
Shively, Kentucky Shively is a home rule-class city in Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States, and a suburb of Louisville within the Louisville Metro government. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 15,264, reflecting an increase of 107 (+0.7%) ...
. Most of the Early Times which is now sold in the U.S. cannot legally be labeled as a
bourbon whiskey Bourbon whiskey (; also simply bourbon) is a Aging (food), barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn (maize). The name derives from the Kingdom of France, French House of Bourbon, although the precise source of inspiration is uncerta ...
within the U.S., so it is labeled as "Kentucky Whisky". Some of the spirits in Early Times are aged in used
barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden stave (wood), staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers ...
s, while bourbon must be aged in new barrels according to the legal requirements for bourbon sold within the U.S. It is bottled at 40%
alcohol by volume Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as alc/vol or ABV) is a common measure of the amount of Alcohol (drug), alcohol contained in a given alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the volume the ethanol in the liquid would take if separated from the rest ...
. In 2010, Brown-Forman introduced ''Early Times 354'' in the U.S., which meets the regulated criteria for
straight whiskey Straight whiskey (or straight whisky), as defined in United States law, is whiskey that is distilled from a fermented (malted or unmalted) cereal grain mash to a concentration not exceeding 80% alcohol by volume (abv) and aged in new charred ...
.


Marketing activity

In 1987, Brown–Forman contracted with
Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States that hosts the annual Kentucky Derby. It opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was prominent in Kentucky for many years. The first ...
to market Early Times
mint julep Mint julep is an alcoholic beverage, alcoholic cocktail, consisting primarily of Bourbon whiskey, bourbon, sugar, water, crushed or shaved ice, and fresh Mentha, mint. As a bourbon-based cocktail, it is associated with the American South and the ...
s as the "official drink" of the
Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...
. Until 2015, Early Times Mint Juleps were sold during Derby Week each year. The highest-priced mint juleps at the event use bourbon from the Brown-Forman sister brand,
Woodford Reserve Woodford Reserve is a brand of premium small batch Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced at Woodford Reserve Distillery, in Woodford County, Kentucky, by the Brown-Forman Corporation. It is made from a mixture of copper pot still spi ...
, which is marketed as the "official bourbon" of the Kentucky Derby.
Old Forester Old Forester is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whisky produced by the Brown–Forman Corporation. It has been on the market continuously for longer than any other bourbon (approximately 150 years as of 2020), and was the first bourbon so ...
, a bourbon also made by Brown-Forman, replaced Early Times starting May 2, 2015 as the standard Kentucky Derby whisky for the lower-priced mint juleps.


See also

*
Jack Daniel's Jack Daniel's is a brand of Tennessee whiskey produced at Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, which has been owned by the Brown–Forman Corporation since 1956. Packaged in square bottles, Jack Daniel's "Black Label" Tennessee wh ...
*
Jim Beam Jim Beam is an American brand of bourbon whiskey produced primarily at James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, Kentucky by Suntory Global Spirits. It is one of the best-selling brands of bourbon in the world. Since 1795 (interrupted by Prohi ...
* Evan Williams *
Maker's Mark Maker's Mark is a small-batch bourbon whisky produced in Loretto, Kentucky, by Suntory Global Spirits. It is bottled at 90 U.S. proof (45% alcohol by volume) and sold in squarish bottles sealed with red wax. The distillery offers tours, and ...


References


External links


Early Times website
{{Alcoholic drinks Brown–Forman brands Bourbon whiskey Economy of Louisville, Kentucky American brands 1860 introductions 1860 establishments in Kentucky