Jameson
Jameson is the quintessential Irish whiskey - ironic since it was actually created by a Scotsman – John Jameson of Clackmannanshire (and a
Presbyterian at that). He began a career as Sheriff Clerk but quickly became disillusioned so he moved his family to Ireland. Joining the Dublin Freemasons on 24 June 1774 he used connections to become the general manager of a relative-by-marriage's distillery in the Smithfield distillery district. By 1805 Jameson had become the sole proprietor of the distillery and taken his son, John Jameson II, into the business. He also undertook a massive expansion of the distillery. Jameson became known for aging his whisky in cool, damp cellars on his Bow Street property and leaving his whiskey to age longer than his competitors. Fun fact, Jameson's was not sold in bottles until 1968.
