Old Forester

In 1870, Old Forester is distilled for the first time by George Garvin Brown. He names it after prominent Louisville physician, Dr. William Forrester. To guarantee consistency Brown combines bourbon from three nearby distilleries: Mattingly, Mellwood, and Atherton. He seals his whiskey exclusively in glass bottles and signs each bottle as his personal guarantee of its quality. In 1897 Brown purchases the Mattingly Distillery and also increases the ABV to 50% (from 45%) in order to comply with the newly created Bottled in Bond Act. In 1920, Old Forester was one of only a hand-full of companies given a permit to sell and manufacture whiskey during Prohibition and the only one still in business today. In 1962, Old Forester introduces the first 'single barrel' bourbon and in 2018, Old Forester Distillery returns home to Whiskey Row, housed in the same building that the brand called home from 1882 – 1919.