Boone County Distilling Co., Independence

In 1833 in Kentucky’s Boone County, a region of proud limestone hills that gradually fell to their knees at the banks of the Ohio River, a man named William Snyder made a decision that would impact the region 182 years later: He decided to buy a flour mill. And within three years he had begun operating a distillery in conjunction with the mill. Soon, his whiskey business was one of the largest in the nation, and far exceeded his profits in flour.

And while we might consider Snyder an extraordinary man, he was typical of those with a pioneering spirit back in the day. They saw opportunity, and took risks. For them, the biggest risk was in doing nothing.

It’s in a similar pioneering spirit that Boone County Distilling Company is now making authentic bourbon whiskey in the northern hills of Kentucky. Their brand is a living tribute to those that came before, men like Snyder and others, including Col William Appleton, J.C. Jenkins and James Gaff. Julius Freiberg and Levi Workum. Their stories infuse the Boone County brand with truth and determination. They are all part of the story.