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Atherton Whiskey was a pre-prohibition brand of Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey first produced by J M Atherton & Co, a chemical and distilling business.

First bottled and marketed in 1867, it was once part of the largest whiskey making operation in Kentucky.

The J. M. Atherton Company (1867–1899)

The J M Atherton Company was established in an area now known as Athertonville, Kentucky in 1867 by John McDougal Atherton, who had entered into this profession as a young man with Marshall Key, his stepfather as a large investor. Company headed paper from 1872 refers to J.M. Atherton & Co and immediately underneath in larger font "Distiller's of pure copper whisky". Once the company reached 200 employees, it became the largest employer in LaRue County. Shipments would leave by rail from the New Haven Depot across the river in Nelson County, via a rail extension from the distilleries in LaRue County. Other business enterprises to support the distiller followed, such as a store and the Atherton Hotel in the 1890s.

Already with a courthouse and a new school, soon after it was named in honor of John M Atherton, who had brought prosperity to many of the inhabitants.

Atherton and Mayfield were the companies two largest distilleries, followed by Windsor and Clifton. All four were located in Athertonville and registered to a location in New Haven, Kentucky. John M Atherton appointed his cousin, Alexander Mayfield, as manager of the Mayfield distillery, naming the plant in his honor. The other local distilleries under The J M Atherton Company were the Clifton and Windsor distilleries.

The company sold in bulk to the likes of J. T. S. Brown and their whiskey was blended and rebranded with barrels from Mellwood and BF Mattingly Distilleries and until they began bottling in bond. At the same time they successfully marketed their own numerous brands.

List of whiskey brands produced by J. M. Atherton & Co

By the end of 1881, the company had on its books orders of 55,000 barrels of its several brands.

In 1882, The J. M. Atherton Company headquarters moved to Whiskey Row, Louisville on 125 W Main St. This historic area of the city is now referred to as West Main District, Louisville. As the founders' interests moved on into the real estate business, his son Peter Lee Atherton, took over the management of all distillery operations, as vice president.

During this time the company portfolio included a total of four distilleries within LaRue County, making them the largest product of Bourbon by volume in the United States.

John M Atherton was a leader in the Kentucky distilling industry, active within the Distillers and Cattle Feeders' Trust. Known as the "Whiskey Trust", it started to receive scrutiny from politicians at a national level. A congressional committee was set up, and headed by William Windom. John M Atherton testified before Congress about issues involving taxation and the bonding period for whiskey. On July 27, 1888, he provided congressmen an insight into many aspects of the distilling industry and the Whiskey Trust.

In 1890, the company used 2,200 bushels of grain and produced 6,600 gallons of Whiskey. Their maximum storage capacity at Athertonville, Kentucky was 150,000 gallons. However, it was a time when some unsavory Distiller's were bottling paint thinner, or at best, adding a splash of caramel coloring, and calling it whiskey. Such actions resulted in the passing of the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 legislation to protect the consumer and raise product standards. To comply, J. M. Atherton and their competitors had to ensure their product was from only one distillation season. It also had to be distilled by them at one distillery and be at least four years old. It had to be stored and aged in government bonded warehouses; be at least 100 proof, and absolutely nothing (except water) could be added. J. M. Atherton specified "Bottled in bond" on all their product line, in attempts to reassure the consumer.

After more than 30 years with John M Atherton at the helm, the brand and all the company assets were acquired by the Whiskey Trust. The J. M. Atherton Company was officially transferred to a holding company of the Whiskey Trust; the Kentucky Distilleries & Warehouse Company in May 1899. At the time of sale, the company had a total production at all four distilleries of 350 barrels a day and warehousing for over 200,000 barrels.

The sale of the company was reported in The New York Times on May 12, 1899.

The Whiskey Trust and the Julius Kessler (1899–1920)

The Kentucky Distilleries & Warehouse Company, a manifestation of the "Whiskey Trust", was set up initially to consolidate and bring regulation to the US whiskey industry. However very quickly it started taking control of many bourbon distilleries with Coon Hollow Whiskey (1881).

The Whiskey Trust assumed ownership in 1889. In November they sold 85,000 barrels for $1,000,000.

General management of all operations was soon after handled by Julius Kessler, who was based in Chicago. In 1909, he announced his retirement from the whiskey business, although that appears not to have occurred, resulting in greater independence from the Whiskey Trust. He went on to register brand "Atherton" as a US patent in 1911.

His operations, including his own brand Kessler Whiskey, were forced to close with the enactment of Prohibition in 1920.

The Prohibition era (1920–1933)

Most of the former Atherton distilleries did not survive prohibition. With the onset of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, the Whiskey Trust would eventually become part of American Medicinal Spirits Company in 1927. During prohibition they produced "medicinal whiskey" under the Atherton brand in one pint bottles for sick, blind, and non-mobile patients. They evolved into the National Distillers Group. None of the original Atherton brand names were used after this period ended.

Cummings Distillery Corporation of Athertonville (1933–1946)

The "mothballed" Atherton distillery, complete with plant and equipment was acquired and rebuilt by Arthur J. Cummings Jr. and a partner in 1933. It was renamed the Cummins-Collins distillery. Production resumed on August 13, 1935, after being shut down for seventeen years. On September 26, 1935, it was reported that orders were so great, they doubled the mashing. By the time of commencing production it was renamed the Cummings Distillery Corporation of Athertonville. Their brands included "A.J. Cummins Kentucky Straight Bourbon" and "Singing Sam Whiskey". However, the site fell into disrepair with Cummings closing down the plant shortly before it was acquired by the Seagram Company in 1946.

Seagrams Athertonville distillery (1946–1972)

The Athertonville distillery supported Seagram's extensive portfolio of blended whiskeys. The core of the facility was destroyed by a fire on February 19, 1972, and put over 50 employees out of work. This story was covered in depth in the Kentucky Standard on February 24, 1972. A fire had broken out in the still house about 3:40 a.m. Fire crew fought the blaze for four hours, containing the fire within the brick walls. The power house, fermenting room and evaporator escaped damage and did not spread to the three warehouses where the whiskey was stored. All distillery operations ceased on the old Atherton site after this date.

Since 1990, warehouses at the former distillery site have been used by an independent company specializing in the manufacture of whiskey barrels.

See also

• List of historic whisky distilleries
• Bourbon whiskey
• American whiskey
• Bottled in bond

References

1. "Louisville of Today. A souvenir book of the city of Louisville, Kentucky created for distribution during the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) encampment. Includes descriptions and portraits of government officials and business owners, illustrations and photographs of buildings, businesses and residences in the city and advertisements". 1895.
2. Kroll, Harry Harrison (1967). "Bluegrass, Belles, and Bourbon: A Pictorial History of Whisky in Kentucky".
3. John E. Kleber, ed. (2001). The Encyclopedia of Louisville (includes entry for J. M. Atherton and P. L. Atherton). University Press of Kentucky. p. 52. ISBN 0813121000.
4. "King's Hand-book of the United States Planned and Edited by M. King. Text by M. F. Sweetser". 1891. p. 294.
5. Hibbs, Dixie (2002). Bardstown: Hospitality, History, and Bourbon. Arcadia. ISBN 9780738523910.
6. "Bourbon Enthusiast: Reference to J Atherton's partnership in the Headley and Farra distillery established in 1858".
7. Veach, Michael R. (2020). "Bourbon Barron J M Atherton".
8. Carl Howell, Don Waters (1998). Hardin and LaRue Counties: 1880-1930. Arcadia. ISBN 9780738542829.
9. "Louisville distiller J. M. Atherton built a distillery on the Rollin Fork River on the eastern edge of the county, and later ran a rail spur to the settlement, naturally named Athertonville". Archived from the original on 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
10. ^ Bush, Bryan S. (2021). Bluegrass Bourbon Barons. Arcadia. pp. 29–33. ISBN 9781467150132.
11. "J M Atherton - Founder of Athertonville".
12. Rennick,Robert M. (1984). Kentucky Place Names. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0813144019.
13. Carl Howell; Don Waters (1998). Hardin and LaRue Counties: 1880-1930. Arcadia. ISBN 9780738542829.
14. Minnick, Fred (2016). Bourbon: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of an American Whiskey. Voyageur Press. ISBN 9781627889766.
15. "List of 16 whiskeys marketed by J M Atherton".
16. ^ "J. M. Atherton brands: Atherton, Clifton, Howard, Mayfield, Roanoke and Windsor". Meyer Brothers Druggist, Vol. 10. 1889.
17. "J.M. Atherton & Co, RD #87".
18. Hibbs, Dixie (2002). Bardstown: Hospitality, History, and Bourbon. Arcadia. p. 112. ISBN 9780738523910.
19. ^ "J.M. Atherton subsidiaries within the Annual Report - Commissioner of Internal Revenue By United States". Internal Revenue Service. 1896.
20. "J T Carter & Co Distillery, RD #377".
21. "A Mayfield & Co, RD #229".
22. Middleton, Chris (2021). "Whiskey Chronicles Of Edmund Taylor Jr., Part 1 – The Distiller Without Peer". www.thewhiskeywash.com. The Whiskey Wash, October 13, 2021.
23. Hibbs, Dixie & Settles, Doris (2016). Prohibition in Bardstown: Bourbon, Bootlegging & Saloons. ISBN 9781439656235.
24. Talbott, Tim. "Whiskey Row article in Kentucky History".
25. Wallis, Frederick A; Tapp, Hambleton (1945). "A sequis-centennial history of Kentucky; a narrative historical edition ... preserving the record of the growth and development of the commonwealth, and chronicling the genealogical and memorial records of its prominent families and personages". Hopkinsville, Ky., Historical Record Assn.
26. John E. Kleber (2001). The Encyclopedia of Louisville - reference time size of production capacity at J. M. Atherton and Co. University Press of Kentucky. p. 52. ISBN 0813121000.
27. "The Filsom Historical Society: Atherton Family Papers, 1901-1939".
28. "Alleged Whisky Ring Corruption Fund Examined by U.S. Senator William Windom's Committee. Atherton denied any improper influences and declined to give names. outcome unknown. Reported in the New York Times: June 2 1882". The New York Times. 2 June 1882.
29. Karl Raitz (5 November 2019). Bourbon's Backroads: A Journey through Kentucky's Distilling Landscape. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813178455.
30. A Congressional committee convened on July 27, 1888 to question John M. Atherton, Thomas H. Sherley and Joseph B. Greenhut, all members of the Distillers and Cattle Feeders' Trust, more commonly known as the Whisky Trust. Their questions encompassed all aspects of the distilling industry and the Whiskey Trust. OCLC 61330750.
31. "Pre-Prohibition Bourbon Baron: John M Atherton".
32. Carl Howell; Don Waters (1998). Hardin and LaRue Counties: 1880-1930 (reference to the capacity in 1890). Arcadia. ISBN 9780738542829.
33. Downard, William L.; Downard, Sue (1980). Dictionary of the History of the American Brewing and Distilling Industries. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9780313213304.
34. The New York Times: May 12, 1899 Edition (12 May 1899). "Big Sale of a Kentucky Whisky. The Trust Buys Out J. M. Atherton & Co.'s Stock". The New York Times.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
35. "85,000 barrels of Atherton whiskey sold for $1M". Bedford Democrat, Indiana, November 14. 1899. p. 3.
36. The Courier Journal Louisville: Apr 2, 1902 Edition (2 April 1902). "Julius Kessler and Co and Whiskey Business 1902". The Courier-Journal. p. 5.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
37. The Courier-Journal of Louisville: Oct 23, 1909 Edition. "Julius Kessler to retire from Whiskey Business - Napoleon of the Whiskey World".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
38. Charles Kendrick Cowdery (2015). "The Bourbon Country Reader - Vol 17 No 2, December, 2015 "Tales of Whiskey-Making Along Old Knob Creek, the distilleries of Athertonville, Kentucky, particularly Cummins-Collins"" (PDF).
39. Hibbs, Dixie (2002). The Cummings Distilling Corporation operators commence at Athertonville; August 1935. Arcadia. ISBN 9780738523910.
40. Kruczek, Lisa & Rizzo, Laurie (2018). "Seagram Museum collection of photographs and audiovisual material" (PDF).
41. "Kentucky Standard article on fire at Athertonville on February 24, 1972".
42. "Whisky Mag article - Cummings, Seagrams era, and barrel fabrication at the site of the former Atherton Distillery".

Further reading

• Penobscot Bay Pilot: March 26, 2013 Edition: "What it's like to sip a $150 glass of pre-Prohibition whiskey"

• Defunct companies based in Louisville, Kentucky
• Distilleries in Kentucky
• Bourbon whiskey
• American brands
• Products introduced in 1867
• 1867 establishments in Kentucky
• 1972 fires in the United States
• American drink distillers
• LaRue County, Kentucky