Started by German immigrant Johannes Böhm which on arrival to the US changed his name to Jacob Beam.
He sold the first barrel of corn whiskey in 1795, then called “Old Jake Beam Sour Mash”.
Before 1880 customers could fill their own jugs at the distillery, but when marketing it nationally it was bottled in jars and sold under the name “Old Tub”.
After the prohibition in 1933 the distillery was rebuilt by James Beauregard Beam near his home in Bardstown. And in 1943 the brand name was changed from Old Tub to Jim Beam.
Today it is a major part of Beam-Suntory.
