Old Grand-Dad

Old Grand-Dad

Type	Bourbon whiskey
Manufacturer	Beam Inc.
Country of origin	Kentucky, United States
Introduced	1840
Alcohol by volume	43.00%
Proof	86
Related products	Jim Beam

Old Grand-Dad is a bourbon whiskey distilled at the Booker Noe Plant in Boston, Kentucky. The company was created by Raymond B. Hayden and named after his grandfather Basil Hayden, Sr., a well known distiller during his lifetime who is depicted on the front of each bottle. Today, it is a Beam Inc. brand.

History

The Hayden family's first commercial distillery was created in 1840 and the Whiskey has been in production since that time - despite several changes of ownership. In 1899, Old Grand-Dad was sold to the Wathen family, whose broad interests in the whiskey business later formed the American Medicinal Spirits Company and the foundations of National Distillers Group. During prohibition, the company produced "medicinal whiskey" for sick, blind, and lame patients. In 1987, National Distillers Group sold the spirits business to the Fortune Brands holding company, which became Beam Inc.

Today, Old Grand-Dad is one of the ten best selling straight whiskies, coming in three different bottling proofs: 86 proof, 100 proof "Bonded," and 114 'Barrel Proof' in a short height bottle often found at holidays in a gift box package.

Lore

Old Grand-Dad is featured prominently in the opening scenes of "Bad Santa", and in the Nick Stefanos novels by George P. Pelecanos, as well as in John Hawkes's classic novel Second Skin. It is also legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno's favorite drink, and he has one on the rocks after each game.^[1] The fictional character Morgan Kane, from the book series of the same name, always drank Old Grand-Dad if it was available, and took a bottle or three with him most of the times he had to venture too far from from a liquor store or a bar to his liking.^{[citation needed]} George Thorogood references Old Grand-Dad whiskey in his song "I Drink Alone", in the lyrics "...the only one who will hang out with me is my dear Old Grand-Dad..." Old Grand-Dad is cited in the Lynyrd Skynyrd song Whiskey Rock-A-Roller (from the 1975 album, Nuthin' Fancy) saying "She likes to drink Old Grand-Dad and her shoes do shuffle around."

References

1. ^ "Paterno says he'll 'run out of that tunnel next year' as Nittany Lions coach". http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3718508. 

It is also mentioned in Hank Williams, Jr. song "Women I've Never Had": "I like sweet young things and Old Grand Dad, and I like to have women I've never had."

External links

• American Medicinal Spirits Company