Jackson Purchase Distillery Barrel

Located in Fulton County, the westernmost county in Kentucky, Jackson Purchase Distillery borders Tennessee and is actually closer to Memphis and Nashville than Louisville or Lexington. The distillery has been making a name for itself in the industry and steadily producing quality Kentucky bourbon under the hands-on, experienced leadership of Beam and Ballard.

Master Distiller Craig Beam is a seventh-generation distiller whose family is linked to another famous Kentucky distillery: Jim Beam. Craig’s father, the legendary Parker Beam, decided to pursue a distilling career at the nearby Heaven Hill Distillery in the 1960s and worked there until he lost his battle with ALS in 2017. Craig Beam joined his father in the distilling industry at Heaven Hill in the 1980s.

Assistant Master Distiller Terry Ballard was formerly the Head Distiller at Willett Distillery in Bardstown, well-known for its high-end and highly-coveted Willett Family Estate bourbon and rye whiskey releases. Ballard started at Willett in 2011 and quickly worked his way up to Head Distiller.

Jackson Purchase Distillery combines age-old bourbon industry traditions with modern technology to create highly sought-after mash bills for companies both large and small. One of the distillery’s most prized possessions is its 24-inch, 30-foot-tall, 100% copper still from the world-renowned Vendome Copper & Brass Works in Louisville. Nearly all of the top bourbon distilleries in Kentucky use Vendome-made equipment, but most don’t invest in 100% copper due to high costs.