Bourbon County was founded in 1785, seven years before Kentucky gained her statehood. In the wake of the American Revolution. Bourbon County was named after the French House of Bourbon and encompassed 1/5th of the territory. The Scotch-Irish frontiersman that settled in Kentucky brought their love and knowledge of distilling. Those early settlers crafted a sweet, corn whiskey from limestone-filtered water aged in charred oak barrels in the mild Kentucky climate.

These pioneers floated barrels of whiskey down waterways to the port of New Orleans where the distinctive Kentucky spirit became known as bourbon whiskey, named after the county of origin. As the region was separated into smaller counties this area of Northern-Eastern Kentucky became known as Old Bourbon County.

Hartfield & Co. Distillery, the only distillery in modern-day bourbon county, proudly presents old bourbon county - a spirit hand-crafted from corn. Wheat and malted barley in the birthplace of bourbon whiskey.