Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch C925

During the Great Depression, a group of investors approached the Shapira family—retailers by trade—with an opportunity to co-found a new distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, where distilling talent was abundant. In 1934, they invested $17,500 to help establish what became the Heaven Hill Springs Distillery, built on land owned by William Heavenhill. A clerical error turned “Heavenhill” into “Heaven Hill,” a name that stuck. From the start, members of the Jim Beam family oversaw production, with Joe and Harry Beam setting early quality standards. In 1946, Ed Shapira appointed Earl Beam as Master Distiller, a role he held for 29 years, during which Heaven Hill expanded operations, increased capacity, and began aging Bourbon longer—helping make Old Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond the top-selling Bourbon in Kentucky. They are behind the brands Henry McKenna, Rittenhouse Rye, Parker’s Heritage, Bernheim Bourbon and many others.