Although the original creator of bourbon remains a mystery, those who championed the spirit's production and helped make it a major industry in Kentucky have not been forgotten. Pioneers who moved into this region in the late 1700s noted the limestone-rich spring water and immediately put it to use in concocting crude batches of bourbon. By the early 19th century, scientists such as Dr. James Crow developed instruments that brought consistency to what had been a hit-or-miss process. Even during Prohibition, two resourceful schoolteachers, Ruth Hanly Booe and Rebecca Gooch, made a profit off bourbon by developing the sugary confections still sold as “Rebecca Ruth Candies.”

Bourbon has come a long way since Kentucky's early settlers took their first sip. Today the state is a bourbon-producing powerhouse, generating more than 90 percent of all the world's bourbon. Kentuckians feel an enormous sense of pride and passion toward their spirited product. Regarded as a sophisticated beverage, bourbon is as cherished as cognac in France or Scotch whisky in Scotland. Masters of the trade combine modern techniques with time-honored tradition to create bourbons that can't be found anywhere else in the world.