The Father of Bourbon raises a glass and celebrates 2025 award wins from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
BARDSTOWN, Ky., June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Elijah Craig, the family of premium American Whiskeys named for the distiller widely considered The Father of Bourbon, raises a glass to fathers everywhere this weekend. Make that two glasses: one on Saturday to mark National Bourbon Day, and a second on Sunday to celebrate Father’s Day. Elijah Craig makes it easy, with a full range of whiskeys spanning its namesake Kentucky Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Straight Rye Whiskey, Toasted Barrel releases, Single Barrel and Barrel Proof offerings, and more.
Elijah Craig is credited as The Father of Bourbon for good reason: his having been the first to char. His pioneering practice of charring oak barrels, burning their interiors prior to filling them with newly distilled whiskey, transformed once-clear liquid into what we know as Bourbon today, with its distinct flavor and color.
The weekend of celebrations comes at an exciting time for Elijah Craig, having just been named by the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition as a 2025 Best in Class Straight Bourbon Finalist for its Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C924, and a 2025 Platinum Medal Winner for Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old Bourbon.
Dad-Favorite Cocktails
For those treating dad to a home-cooked feast this weekend, The Father of Bourbon recommends these two, easy-to-master cocktails: the tea-infused Elijah Craig Mulligan™, and the all-time favorite Classic Old Fashioned. Enjoy!
About Elijah Craig Bourbon
Known as “The Father of Bourbon,” Elijah Craig is credited with being the first distiller to age his wares in charred oak barrels to make Bourbon. The clear, unaged corn whiskey became transformed into a bold amber liquid with a distinctively smooth flavor that makes Bourbon what it is today. Elijah Craig’s community impact continues through Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week, providing total donations of half a million to date to organizations supporting the hospitality industry. Produced by Heaven Hill Distillery, the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and led distillery and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon, the Elijah Craig lineup includes: Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey, Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Elijah Craig Toasted Rye Whiskey, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Elijah Craig’s accolades have included Whisky Advocate’s Whisky of the Year, Best Small Batch Bourbon and Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and World’s Best Small Batch Bourbon and Best Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon at Whisky Magazine’s 2023 World Whiskies Awards. For more information, please visit www.elijahcraig.com.
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SOURCE Elijah Craig
