In 1934, after Prohibition ended, my Mom’s family opened a bourbon distillery called Heaven Hill. Five brothers, one of whom was my great-grandfather Gary, created this flourishing company in Bardstown, Kentucky. They started just making and selling bourbon, but today, it is a successful business that has grown into a worldwide company selling many kinds of adult beverages.
Although my great-grandfather and his brothers no longer operate the distillery, it is still a family business that is run by my cousins. The distillery still can be found in Bardstown. However the things they sell can be found all over the world. I have often seen these products in restaurants and stores. They also have a visitor’s center in Bardstown and thousands of people go every month to learn the story of my family and their business. Our family traveled to Kentucky two years ago to learn how they make bourbon and see the business.
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Everything the business sold was made in Kentucky. Some of the things they sold were Louisville slugger bats; Kentucky-made jams and jellies, and pottery. The business was started in my grandma’s basement. She and her partner went around the state of Kentucky and discovered all the foods and crafts that they could find. They brought these things back to my grandma’s house and sold them either by themselves or in gift packages that they filled and wrapped by hand. Eventually my grandma moved the business out of her house, into a small kiosk, and then she moved the business into a large store in the biggest mall in Louisville. Then she started selling her products in nearby cities like Cincinnati, Ohio. My grandma eventually sold this business to the couple that still runs it