Atherton Whiskey
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Distilling, Chemicals |
| Founded | 1867 |
| Founder | John McDougal Atherton, Marshall Key |
| Defunct | 1899 |
| Fate | Acquired by Kentucky Distilleries & Warehouse Company (Whiskey Trust) |
| Headquarters | Athertonville, Kentucky (original); Louisville, Kentucky (from 1882) , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | John McDougal Atherton, Peter Lee Atherton, Julius Kessler (later) |
| Products | Bourbon whiskey (Atherton brand and others) |
Number of employees | 200 |
| Parent | Kentucky Distilleries & Warehouse Company (from 1899) |
Atherton Whiskey was a Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey brand produced prior to Prohibition by J M Atherton & Co, a company specializing in chemicals and distillation.
Originally introduced to the market in 1867, it became part of one of the largest whiskey enterprises in Kentucky.
The J. M. Atherton Company (1867–1899)
Established in 1867 in the area now known as Athertonville, Kentucky, the J M Atherton Company was founded by John McDougal Atherton alongside investor Marshall Key, his stepfather. By 1872, their company stationery advertised them as "Distiller's of pure copper whisky." At its height, the firm employed around 200 individuals, making it the biggest employer in LaRue County. Their shipments were dispatched via rail from New Haven Depot in Nelson County, supported by ancillary businesses such as a retail store and the Atherton Hotel during the 1890s.
The town, which included facilities like a courthouse and school, was named Athertonville in honor of John M Atherton’s significant economic contributions to the region.
The company operated four principal distilleries—Atherton, Mayfield, Windsor, and Clifton—all situated within Athertonville but officially registered in New Haven, Kentucky. John M Atherton appointed his cousin Alexander Mayfield as manager of the Mayfield distillery.
J M Atherton Company supplied bulk whiskey to entities such as J. T. S. Brown, whose products were blended with barrels from Mellwood and BF Mattingly Distilleries before being bottled under bond. Simultaneously, they marketed several proprietary whiskey labels with notable success.
Whiskeys Produced by J. M. Atherton & Co
| Brand | Description / Production Period |
|---|---|
| Atherton | Fire copper 100 US Proof pure old Kentucky Whiskey manufactured at the Athertonville facility (1867–1920). Registered circa 1911. Distributed by Kohl & Adler (Rock Island, IL), United Distributing Co. (Boston), and Meyer Brothers Drug Co.
During Prohibition, bottled under medicinal exemption by American Medicinal Spirits Company; last bottled in 1933 in a 16oz pint glass bottle sealed with a cork. Distillery located two miles south of New Haven, KY. |
| Atherton Old Fashioned | Marketed by J.W. Birmingham & Co, Boston. A blend whiskey packaged in half-pint clear glass bottles with cork stoppers. |
| Baker | Brand retailed directly by John Atherton. |
| Brownfield | Details unknown. |
| Carter | Sour mash whiskey produced beginning in 1880 by J. T. Carter & Co, a division of J M Atherton. The brick distillery had two warehouses near New Haven, KY. |
| Castor | Sold directly by John Atherton. |
| Clifton | Handmade fire copper sour mash produced from 1880 by Sylvester O'Brien & Co at Clifton distillery No.337; distributed by Meyer Brothers Drug Co. |
| Famous Atherton | Packaged in clear light amethyst bottles standing 11½ inches tall. |
| Howard | Produced at Mayfield distillery; handmade fire copper sour mash bottled in New Haven, KY; sold directly by John Atherton and Meyer Brothers Drug Co. |
| J. M. Atherton | Bottled in clear light amethyst bottles measuring 11½ inches tall; distributed by Simon Hasterlik & Bro., Chicago (1877). |
| Kenwood | Packaged similarly in clear light amethyst bottles standing 11½ inches tall. |
| Mayfield | Handmade fire copper sour mash dating from 1869 produced by A. Mayfield & Co, a division of J M Atherton located in New Haven, KY; distributed by Meyer Brothers Drug Co. |
| Old Barbee | Aged 13 years, 100 US Proof whiskey produced by A. Mayfield & Co.; bottled under Prohibition medicinal exemption by American Medicinal Spirits. |
| Old Indian River Rye | Sour mash whiskey made from 1880 at the Atherton distillery by Indian River Distribution Co., a J M Atherton subsidiary; bottled in clear light amethyst bottles standing 11½ inches tall. |
| Roanoke | Fire copper bourbon distilled within Kentucky’s 5th district; sold directly by John Atherton and subsequently through Meyer Brothers Drug Co. |
| Whitehead | Produced at Carter distillery; involved in legal dispute over label copyright with Col. Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr.'s Old Taylor Bourbon. |
| Windsor | Fire copper sweet mash whiskey produced from 1895 by William Miller & Co., a J M Atherton division at Windsor distillery No.378; bottled in New Haven, KY and retailed by Meyer Brothers Drug Co. |
By late 1881, the company had secured orders for approximately 55,000 barrels across its various brands.
In 1882, J. M. Atherton Company moved its headquarters to Whiskey Row in Louisville (125 W Main St), located within today’s West Main District. As the original founders shifted focus toward real estate ventures, Peter Lee Atherton took over management duties as vice president.
During this era, the firm operated four distilleries within LaRue County and emerged as the leading Bourbon producer nationwide by volume.
John M Atherton played a prominent role within the Distillers and Cattle Feeders' Trust—commonly referred to as the "Whiskey Trust"—which came under national scrutiny and congressional investigation led by Senator William Windom during the 1880s. In 1888, Atherton provided testimony regarding taxation policies and industry practices.
By 1890, production utilized about 2,200 bushels of grain to yield roughly 6,600 gallons of whiskey annually at the Athertonville site, which featured storage capacity for approximately 150,000 gallons.
Following passage of the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, J. M. Atherton certified that its products complied with federal regulations designed to guarantee quality and authenticity.
After more than thirty years under John M Atherton’s direction, ownership transferred in May 1899 to Kentucky Distilleries & Warehouse Company—the holding entity for the Whiskey Trust. At that time, daily production reached about 350 barrels across four distilleries with warehousing capacity exceeding 200,000 barrels.
This transaction was publicized in The New York Times on May 12, 1899.
The Whiskey Trust and Julius Kessler's Leadership (1899–1920)
Formed to unify and oversee the American whiskey sector, the Kentucky Distilleries & Warehouse Company, representing the "Whiskey Trust," rapidly acquired numerous bourbon producers, including Coon Hollow Whiskey in 1881. By 1889, the Trust had assumed control and by November of that year sold 85,000 barrels valued at $1 million.
Chicago-based Julius Kessler served as the general manager. Although he declared his retirement from the whiskey industry in 1909, Kessler maintained involvement and gradually gained increased autonomy from the Trust. In 1911, he secured a US patent for the "Atherton" brand. His distilling activities, including those under his own Kessler Whiskey label, ended with the onset of Prohibition in 1920.
Prohibition Period (1920–1933)
The majority of Atherton distilleries did not endure through Prohibition. After enforcement of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, the Whiskey Trust was absorbed into American Medicinal Spirits Company in 1927. During this era, "medicinal whiskey" bearing the Atherton label was produced for therapeutic use. This company later transformed into what became known as National Distillers Group. The original Atherton brand names were discontinued following Prohibition’s repeal.
Cummings Distillery Corporation of Athertonville (1933–1946)
In 1933, Arthur J. Cummings Jr. along with a partner purchased and revitalized the idle Atherton distillery, initially renaming it Cummins-Collins distillery. Production recommenced on August 13, 1935, ending a 17-year production gap. By September, demand warranted doubling mashing capacity. The facility was subsequently renamed Cummings Distillery Corporation of Athertonville and produced labels such as "A.J. Cummins Kentucky Straight Bourbon" and "Singing Sam Whiskey." The distillery eventually fell into decline and ceased operations shortly before being acquired by Seagram Company in 1946.
Seagram’s Athertonville Distillery (1946–1972)
The Athertonville plant contributed to Seagram’s blended whiskey offerings until a fire on February 19, 1972, devastated its main structures and displaced more than fifty workers. After four hours, firefighters contained the blaze within the brick still house; fortunately, the powerhouse, fermenting area, evaporator, and three whiskey warehouses remained intact. Following this incident, distilling activities at Athertonville were permanently halted.
Since 1990, an independent enterprise has operated out of the former distillery’s warehouses to produce whiskey barrels.