Medley Distillery Time Line

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Medley Distillery Time Line

Unread postby bourbonv » Sun Jul 31, 2005 6:21 pm

Here is a Medley Distillery time line I did at United Distillers.

Medley Distilling Company

1634 - John Medley immigrated to Maryland from England.
Medley's Neck on the Potomac River is named for the
family. The family brought a still with them from
England (Bluegrass, Belles, and Bourbon, Harry Harrison
Kroll).

1800 - John Medley VI comes to Washington County Kentucky.
He brings his still with him across the mountains
travelling through the Cumberland Gap.
(Bluegrass, Belles, and Bourbon, Kroll).

o - An inventory of his estate includes two stills and
fourty mash tubs (Belles, Bluegrass and Bourbon,
Kroll).

1812 - Medley Distilling Company (Ezra Brooks) traces its
founding to this date. (N Morgan 18/11/91).

1814 - John Medley VI dies. (Medley Family Tree from Charles
Medley).

1850 - George Medley is born. (Bluegrass, Belles and
Bourbon, Kroll).

1870 - R N Wathen, George Medley's grandfather, founds a
distillery and George goes to work for him. (Bluegrass,
Belles and Bourbon, Kroll).

1873 - Daviess County Distillery opened. (Bluegrass, Belles
and Bourbon, Kroll).

circa 1889 - Green River distillery built on River Road,
Owensboro (UD Archives, Uncataloged File).

1892 - Susquehanna was made by Waterfill and Frasier (Wine and Spirits Bulletin, Louisville Public Library).

1901 - George Medley buys the Daviess County Distillery.
(Bluegrass, Belles and Bourbon, Kroll). This was a
former Monarch Distillery. (Spirits, May 1936, Filson
Club).

1910 - George Medley dies. Son Thomas becomes the owner of the
distillery (Bluegrass, Belles and Bourbon, Kroll).

o - George E Medley died on Dec. 24, 1910 and his obituary
is published in the Jan. 1, 1911 edition of the Wine
and Spirits Bulletin (page 39).

1911 - A fire at the Daviess County Distillery destroys a
Bonded Warehouse and the Bottling House (Wine And
Spirits Bulletin, Dec.1, 1911, page 24).

o - The 1911 Mida's Financial Index list the Daviess Co.
Distilling Co., Distillers, as Dy. No. 2, 2nd Dist.,
Owensboro, Ky. with a capital value of $150,000 to
$150,000.

1913 - Publicker-Ward Distilling Company incorporated under
Pennsylvania law (1966 Red Book, p.240).

1919 - Publicker-Ward Distilling Company changed its name to
Publicker Commercial Alcohol Company (1966 Red Book,
p.241).

1927 - Daviess County Distillery survived prohibition by
selling bonded whiskey to the American Medicinal
Spirits Company (Spirits, April 1935, Filson Club).

1933 - "21" Brands, Inc. is incorporated on Nov. 17 in New
York (1966 Red Book, p.249).

o - Mohawk Liqueur Corporation is incorporated in Michigan
(1966 Red Book, p.236).

1940 - Thomas Medley dies. Before he dies, the distillery is
sold to Fleischmann. (Bluegrass, Belles and Bourbon,
Kroll).

o - Medley brothers purchase their fourth family
distillery. (Bluegrass, Belles and Bourbon, Kroll).
This is the old Green River Distillery in Owensboro (UD
Archives, Uncataloged File).

1941 - Publicker Commercial Alcohol acquires the assets of
Kinsey Distilling Company (1966 Red Book. p.241).

1945 - Publicker Commercial Alcohol Company changes its name
to Publicker Industries, Inc. (1966 Red Book, p.241).

1952 - Publicker Industries acquires an alcohol fermentaion
plant from United Distillers of America located at
Gretna, Louisiana (1966 Red Book, p.241).

1957 - Ezra Brooks is first sold as a response to
the shortage of Jack Daniels. (C Morris, 30/9/92).

1959 - The Ezra Brooks brand is purchased because the salesmen
in the field decided that they needed a brand to
compete with Jack Daniels. It is later purchased with
the 21 Brands distillery in Frankfort Ky. (C Medley,
2/10/92).

o - The distillery is sold to Renfield Importers of New
York, but Medley brothers John and Wathen continue to
run the distillery. (Bluegrass, Belles and Bourbon,
Kroll).

1960 - Ben and Tom Medley open 5th family owned distillery
when they purchase and build Old Stanley Distillery at
Stanley, Ky. They build the distillery from the
ground up. (Bluegrass, Belles and Bourbon, Kroll).

1961 - The distillery Stanley is closed after only distilling
for one year. The bottling facility however is still
used occasionally by the Medley family. (C Medley,
2/10/92).

o - Jack Daniels sues Ezra Brooks over the design of the
Ezra Brooks label and looses. (Courier-Journal
article).

1963 - Publicker Industries acquires J.A. Doughtery's Sons,
Inc. Distillers (1966 Red Book, p.241).

1965 - The 21 Brands Company acquires Ezra Brooks (21 Brands
Annual Report, 1966).

1966 - Thomas Medley dies. (Medley Family Tree).

o - "21" Brands, Inc. acquires a controling interest in the
Mohawk Liqueur Corporation of Detroit (1966 Red Book,
p.236, p.249).

o - The Hoffman Distilling Company of Lawrenceburg, Ky.
with a capacity of 300 bushels per day is listed with
Ezra Brooks as one of its four brands. The executives
of the distillery are Ben G, Ripy, William R. Ripy, and
Robert Ripy (1966 Red Book, p.33).

o - Old Stanley Distillery, Inc. is listed with only six
bourbon brands and a vodka and a gin (1966 Red Book,
p.44).

1976 - Medley Distilling Co. purchases the Ezra Brooks label
and distillery in Frankfort, Ky. (Beverage Media
Magazine, Jan. 1976, p.94).

1978 - The Abraham Schecter family of Chicago buys Medley (UD
Archives, Uncataloged file).

1979 - Medley acquires 21 Brands from Publiker Industries Inc.
(UD Archives, Uncataloged File).

1980 - Wathen Medley dies. (Medley Family Tree).

1981 - John Medley dies. (Medley Family Tree).

1987 - Medley distillery is closed. The formula being used by
Charles Medley at that time was roughly 77% corn / 10%
rye / 13 % barley malt and placed into the barrel at
115 proof (C Medley, 27/1/93).

1988 - Glenmore acquires Medley Distillery. (C Morris,
15/11/91).

1989 - Ezra Brooks wins gold medal at the International
Spirits Competition in London. (C Morris, 12/8/92).

1990 - Ben Medley dies. (Medley Family Tree).

1991 - United Distillers acquires Glenmore. (C Morris,
15/11/91).

1995 - Charles Medley purchases the Medley Distillery from
United Distillers (M. Veach, 12/19/95).

Mike Veach
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Re: Medley Distillery Time Line

Unread postby Chistiykaif » Thu May 22, 2014 5:07 pm

It’s really great post.
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Re: Medley Distillery Time Line

Unread postby LeNell » Sun Nov 16, 2014 11:08 pm

This is a great time line. I just today tasted a lineup of Medley Bros 102 proof, Wathen's, and Old Medley 12 yr. I had always loved the Wathen's, but had not tried the 102 or the 12 yr before today. They worked great in a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned, but were just simply delicious on their own. Sam Medley was recently in Birmingham and met my husband at his bar job at Hot & Hot Fish Club here. He brought home some samples that inspired my seeking out more info on the brand's history. Chuck's blog also laid out a great update on what's gone on with the Medleys. http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2013/10/medley-brothers-kentucky-straight.html
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