This Iconic Bourbon Brand Traces Its Roots Back To 1753

If you like long and convoluted histories, the story of Michter's whiskey certainly falls into that batch. Among the many American whiskey brands, few bourbon histories are as old and complicated as this brand of brown water. The company is said to trace its roots back to 1753, when a Swiss Mennonite farmer named John Shenk established a distillery in Pennsylvania's Lebanon County. Rye whiskey, not bourbon, was the drink of choice in the mid-Atlantic region back then, for Kentucky's Bourbon County had not yet been established.

Even without Michter's tie, Shenk's endeavor is still significant today as one of the first distilleries in the backwoods of what would become the United States. Company lore likes to claim George Washington once stopped by to purchase some rye whiskey for his men during the Revolutionary War. And like most generations-old businesses, it changed hands many times throughout the years. During the 19th century, it was known as the Bomberger Distillery, churning out rye through the Civil War and Industrial Revolution. The next big name change came about in the 1950s, when owner Louis Forman decided to change the name to Michter's. Again, more company lore here, but Forman supposedly came up with the name Michter's by combining his sons' names Michael and Peter.

But change came again in the latter part of the 20th century, as the yuppie era gravitated toward lighter spirits, like vodka, as well as wine. In 1989, the historic Pennsylvania distillery declared bankruptcy. But like so many distinctly American brands, this one also had a historic comeback ahead.

The brand was revived yet again in the 1990s when an enterprising spirit salesman named Joseph Magliocco acquired the trademark for less than $300 and set about rebuilding the brand. Respected advisors in the spirit business wisely suggested he relocate from the original Pennsylvania location to the bourbon capital of the world, Kentucky. And because Magliocco and his team had bought only a trademark, no whiskey or recipes, they set about buying aging stocks of whiskey to build the brand. Though it seems unbelievable now, aging whiskey was so unfashionable in the '90s that Michter's had no trouble acquiring enough to produce a 10-year-old rye and bourbon by the year 2000.

Over the following decades, the Michter's brand built itself back up as a premium whiskey producer, focusing on small-batch releases and limited production. A huge turning point came in 2003, when Pete Wells (previously the New York Times' chief restaurant critic) named it the "Best American Whiskey." Since 2015, the brand has been officially distilling whiskey with its own equipment near Louisville, Kentucky.

Today, Michter's is continually ranked as one of the best bourbon brands around. Their barrels are uniquely air-dried and receive a toast-and-char treatment, with many limited editions sourced from relatively small numbers of barrels. The brand's commitment to quality is just one reason why its 25 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon is one of the most expensive bottles of bourbon you can buy, hovering at around $10,000 these days.