Jack Daniel's
Jasper Newton Daniel, known as Jack Daniel was one of 13 children born in 1850 to Lucinda Cook Daniel & father Callaway Daniel. Jack's parents died when he was still very young so Jack was raise by the local minister, Dan Call, who owned a whiskey still on the Louse River. Over the next several years, Jack learned everything he could about whiskey making from Call. Then, in September of 1863, under increasing pressure to devote his life to lifting spirits rather than selling them, Call sold his still to Jack, who was just 13 at the time.
Jack Daniel, like Dan Call, believed in mellowing fresh whiskey through hard maple charcoal. While this process was widely used, the time and expense involved made it less popular with penny-pinching whiskey makers. But Mr. Jack thought it was essential, so he perfected his charcoal mellowing process back in 1866. To this day, this still gives Jack Daniel's its smooth character and unique taste.
In anticipation of government taxes, Mr. Jack registered his distillery in 1866 making him the first to do so and making the Jack Daniel's distillery the nations oldest registered distillery. Though only 52, Mr. Jacks stature as a distiller kept growing.
In 1904 Mr. Jack entered his Old No.7 Tennessee sipping whiskey at the Worlds Fair held in St. Louis, Missouri. Of the 20 whiskeys from around the world, his was the only one awarded the Worlds Fair Gold Medal and honoured as the worlds best whiskey.
In 1905, Mr. Jack arrived at work early one morning and tried to open the safe in his office. He couldn't remember the combination so he kicked it in anger. The blow broke his toe and an infection set in and he eventually died from blood poisoning in 1911.
A town fire had destroyed courthouse records and conflicting headstone dates on Mr. Jacks and his mothers graves have left Mr. Jacks exact date of birth in question. All that's certain is the month of September. But, for an American icon like Mr. Jack, one day isn't enough time to celebrate his life, anyway. Though he is still with us in spirit, Jack Daniel died in 1911 and was buried in Lynchburg where his spirit lives on in every bottle of Jack Daniel's famous Whiskey.
