Jim Beam is a brand of bourbon whiskey produced in Clermont, Kentucky, by Beam Suntory, Inc. The distillery has been owned by Suntory Holdings of Osaka, Japan since January 2014. Jim Beam is one of the most popular brands of bourbon in the world and has a large following among American whiskey enthusiasts. The Beam family has been involved in whiskey distilling since 1795 when Jacob Beam sold his first barrel of corn whiskey near Loretto, Kentucky. In 1795 Jacob’s grandson Jacob II built a small distillery on the banks of the creek that would bear his name, now called Old Tub. The distillery was later sold to his son Evan and then to his son David M.

In 1853 the company was sold again to Matthew F. Jacob Jr., who changed its name from Old Tub Distillery to J.M. Beam & Co. It remained under the control of the Jacob family until 1925 when it was purchased by Albert Blanton, who installed two Coffey stills and began producing bourbon at what was now called Blanton’s Distillery (later known as Old Taylor Distillery). In 1935 Albert Blanton sold his interest in JMB (now known as Jim Beam) to National Distillers Products Corporation