Since when has he Beam family have been involved in whiskey production for the company that also sells a low-priced brand of Kentucky-made straight bourbon whiskey?
Jim Beam Jim Beam is a brand of bourbon whiskey produced in Clermont, Kentucky, by Beam Suntory, a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings of Osaka, Japan. It is one of the best selling brands of bourbon in the world. Since 1795 (interrupted by Prohibition), seven generations of the Beam family have been involved in whiskey production for the company that produces the brand, which was given the name "Jim Beam" in 1933 in honor of James B. Beam, who rebuilt the business after Prohibition ended. Previously produced by the Beam family and later owned by the Fortune Brands holding company, the brand was purchased by Suntory Holdings in 2014.
Rowan's Creek Rowan's Creek is a brand of bourbon whiskey produced in Bardstown, Kentucky by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD). It is named for the creek which runs through the grounds of the site's distillery. The creek, in turn, is named after John Rowan, a statesman in Kentucky during the late 1700s and early 1800s, whose mansion is said to have inspired the Stephen Foster song "My Old Kentucky Home". The brand is one of several small batch bourbon offerings by KBD. As of October, 2011, it is the best-selling brand produced by KBD, and is available in 27 states.