The Coopers International Union published the Coopers International Journal which listed companies that carried the union label on their barrels, whether those barrels held grain, soap, whiskey or rum. So from one of the Journals, about 1918 Volume 27, #5, (it's on Goggle books
http://books.google.com/books?id=UdV8AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA555&lpg=PA555&dq=buffalo+distilling&source=bl&ots=FnRTlg59BH&sig=KUl1-OUosf_haLswJy00A6JJFbs&hl=en&ei=BDp7S-CpBcLflAeDz4iiDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAYQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=buffalo%20distilling&f=falseIn this list we can see two distilling companies in NY, a quite a few in PA, MD, and KY. Perhaps all these companies are well known to the historians here.
Freeport, PA — A. Guckenheiner & Bros "Guckenheimer Rye"
Butler County, PA — Pensylvania Distilling Co., "Montrose" and "Pennbrook"
Brownsville, Pa — Phillip Hamberger Co., "Bridgeport Pure Rye," "G. W. Jones Monongahela Rye," "Bridgeport Pure Malt."
New Albany, Ind. — I. Hoffer & Co. "Old Joel Jones".
Buffalo, NY — Erie Distilling Co. "Lafayette Special," "Private Stock," "Erie Club," "Harmarket Rye."
Buffalo, NY — Buffalo Distilling Co. "Golden Grain," "Silver Medal," "Polo Club," "Old Monongahela," "Old Night Cap" gin, "Old Colonial Rye Malt" gin, "Diamond" gin, "Old Tom" gin, "White Rose" gin, "Maple" gin.
Owensboro, Ky — Eagle Distilling Co., "Eagle Whiskey," "T. J. Monarch," "Old Joe Daviess," "Imperial," "Hazelwood," "Monteagle," "Woodcock," "Beaver Run," "Rose Wood."
Owensboro, Ky — Green River Distilling Co., "Green River Whiskey."
Highlandtown, Md. — Cecil Distilling Co.
Highlandtown, Md. — Maryland Distilling Co.
Pikesville, Md. — Pikesville Distilling Co.
Carroll County, Md. — A. McGinnis & Co.
Baltimore, Md. — Calvert Distilling Co.
Harrisburg, Pa. — Highspire Distilling Co.
Lexington, Ky. — James Pepper Distilling Co.
Agnews, Cal. — The Western Distilling Co. "Purity."
Gibsonton, Pa. — Estate of Joseph P. Sinnott, all whiskies branded "Gibson's."
Louisville, Ky. — Jesse Moore Hunt Co. "Jesse Moore," "AA," "West Point," "Bedford."
Louisville, Ky. — Phil Hollenback & Co. "Fortuna."
Louisville, Ky. — Glencoe Distilling Co. "Glencoe."
Louisville, Ky. — R. E. Wathen Distilling Co. "R. E. Wathern."
There's a section on rectifiers of whiskey and wholesalers using union barrels as well.
The two NY distilleries, Erie Distilling Co and Buffalo Distilling Co, there's a little bit of info at this site (sorry for their ads) Seems to be a collectors site, but does list street addresses of the businesses and years of operation. Nice photos of old jugs, promotional shot glasses and the like.
These businesses operated about 1893 until Prohibition (or just before).
Erie Distilling Co (1897-1918)
http://www.pre-pro.com/midacore/view_glass.php?sid=RRP1494Buffalo Distilling (1895-1918)
http://www.pre-pro.com/midacore/view_vendor.php?vid=BUF10988EN Cook (1879-1893)
http://www.pre-pro.com/midacore/view_vendor.php?vid=BUF11009E.N. Cook was co-owned with a Mr. Gustav Fleischmann. A biography can be found of him in the "Men of New York" 1898, which I'll link below. But the key points of interest are:
• came to America from Vienna Austria at age 16 (1866)
• at 19, in 1869 he went to Cincinnati to work with his brothers Maximilan and Charles where he learned the skills of distilling and yeast manufacture
• in 1877 he moved to Buffalo to set up distilling on his own, where he worked with E. N. Cook
• in 1893 he bought out Mr. Cook, and the business became Buffalo Distilling Co.
• he was also president of Meadville (PA) Distilling Co, and Frontier Elevating Co. of Buffalo.
And yes, Maximilian and Charles founded Flieschmann's Yeast.
http://www.archive.org/stream/menofnewyorkcoll03matt/menofnewyorkcoll03matt_djvu.txtHopefully some of this is new info. Sorry for any duplication.