Long before Kentucky became a state in 1792, the landscape was already speckled with hundreds of small and large distilleries, drawn by the region’s abundance of corn and water.

When distillers fled the Whiskey Rebellion in the northern states in the 1700s they naturally sought places rich in corn to continue their craft, and Kentucky fit the bill.

Kentucky’s abundance of corn plantations can be credited to Virginia’s Corn Patch and Cabin Rights Act of 1776, which offered 400 acres of land to those who wanted to plant corn.

Another critical component for bourbon production is water. Kentucky’s bourbon is made using pure limestone water as the state sits on top of massive formations of limestone.

Additionally, the state’s bourbon industry managed to remain resilient through economic downturns and prohibition because the distillation methods were passed down through families.

However, what truly solidified Kentucky as the “Bourbon State” was the establishment of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) in 1880.

The KDA became a powerful industry group formed to advocate for distilleries in Kentucky, urging governing bodies for reduced taxes and policy changes, among other things.