If you’re looking for a brand of sour mash bourbon with rich history, modern complexity and unique taste, look no further than Old Fitzgerald. Currently distilled by Heaven Hill, Old Fitzgerald takes it name from John E. Fitzgerald, whose legendary bourbon can traced back to the late-19th Century.
The bourbon drank today, however, is a different drink to the one John E. Fitzgerald passed around country clubs. After the brand was one of the lucky few to survive the devastating plight of Prohibition, (being selected to be distilled under government supervision for the national medicinal trade), Pappy Van Winkle acquired the brand for $10,000.
He was determined to made his mark on Old Fitzgerald, and introduced what he called a "Whisper of Wheat" to the original recipe. By adding a small measure of wheat in the place of more traditional rye, Van Winkle gave Old Fitzgerald a rounder, softer profile than other bourbons. This would become the brand’s defining feature, and it’s distilled at Heaven Hill as the coalition of what Fitzgerald and Van Winkle intended today.
Popular among the likes of Dave Broom and Jim Murray, Old Fitzgerald is a brand of tradition and reputation that you won’t be sorry you tried.