History of Jack Daniels
The name Jack Daniel's is as familiar to most Americans as McDonald's or Michael Jordan. While it's one of the most renowned liquors in the world, you may not know the story behind the whiskey and the man who brought it to fruition. The history of the product and its creator is a true testament to the wild and electrifying American way of business and innovation. Does this Spark an idea?
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Significance
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Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey is one of the most recognized and best-selling liquors in the U.S. and around the world--a reported 7.5 million cases were shipped in 2005, and it's estimated that 10 million will ship in 2009. It's also prevalent in media and popular culture having appeared in numerous books, songs and films.
Jack Daniel's served as the right hand to a diverse group of musicians ranging from Frank Sinatra (who supposedly was buried with a flask of it) to Lynyrd Skynyrd to Slash and was Al Pacino's best friend in his unforgettable role in the film "Scent of a Woman."
The Apprentice
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Jack Daniel, who was born Jasper Newton Daniel in September 1850 in Moore County, Tennessee, was one of 12 children (or 13, depending on the source). Childhood wasn't easy for Jasper and his siblings; when he was 7 years old, his mother, Lucinda Daniel, passed away.
At the age of 10, his father decided it was time for Jasper to leave home, learn a trade and go to work. He was put under the guidance of family friend and Lutheran minister, Rev. Dan Call, who owned a dry-goods store in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Young Jasper became an apprentice to Call, and it wasn't long before his diligence, work ethic and business aptitude became apparent.
Call's most popular product was a whiskey he distilled on the Louse River near the store. He employed the traditional "sour mash" method, along with a complex filtering method known as the "Lincoln County process," which other distilleries in Tennessee usually abandoned because of the time and money involved. Call taught Jasper the duties of store keeping as well as the whiskey-distilling process and Jack, as he came to be called, eventually became a formidable brewmaster, able to rival the talents of his employer.
Call and Jack kept their business running during the Civil War, but in 1863, Call was pressured by his congregation to cease his whiskey operation. He submitted to his ministerial duties and decided to hand the distillery over to Jack when the boy was only 13 years old. -
The Legend
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Jack kept the operation running on his own and eventually hired more people. He decided to move the distillery to a location with a natural spring, which he had purchased, that would allow for a higher-quality whiskey. It is believed that this is why the distillery has never moved from the place of its founding.
With the Civil War coming to a close, Jack realized the inevitability of levied taxes on distilleries, and at age 16, he registered his whiskey company with the federal government.
In the years following, the young entrepreneur became both popular and notorious in the political arena and displayed his keen innovative qualities as an advertiser for his company (for example, he used hot-air balloons to promote his whiskey).
As successful as his operation proved to be, it wasn't until the 1904 St. Louis World Fair that the name "Jack Daniel" would be forged as legend. With competition consisting of 20 different varieties from around the world, Jack Daniel's Tennessee sour-mash whiskey met the challenge, won the gold medal and was recognized as the world's best whiskey, spurring instant recognition all across Europe.
Around 1906, Jack suffered from a blood infection in his toe (he reportedly kicked the safe in his office one morning when he couldn't get it open), and without treatment, it eventually led to gangrene, spreading throughout his body. Jack died on Oct. 9, 1911. Having never married, he left the company to his favorite nephew and apprentice, Lem Motlow, who kept its traditions.
Legacy of the Bottle
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In search for the perfect signature bottle, Jack Daniel abandoned the traditional round, glass-mold bottle for a unique square bottle with a fluted neck in 1895. "A square bottle for a square shooter," Jack used to say. Bearing the name of the distillery, the signature bottle is also adorned with the honors awarded to the whiskey since its inception.
As it is stated on the official website, "Some folks might think the label on our Old No. 7 Whiskey Bottle is kind of cluttered. But there's a lot packed on that label. A list of gold medals Jack Daniel's has won. A little history. And some of the many stories that make Jack Daniel's unique!"
Awards
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1904: First gold medal won by Jack Daniel's Whiskey at the World's Fair in St. Louis.
1905: First international gold medal won in Liege, Belgium.
1913: Lem Motlow entered Jack Daniel's Whiskey and won a gold medal in Ghent, Belgium.
1914: Gold medal awarded during the Anglo-American Exposition in London.
1915: The Certificate of the Institute of Hygiene was presented in London.
1954: The Star of Excellence awarded in Brussels, Belgium.
1981: Gold medal from Institut Pour Les Selections De La Qualite, Amsterdam.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Brian Duey, http://www.dueysdrawings.com/
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Comments
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I love Jack Daniels very much Papa :-)
