Chicken Cock Whiskey is a historic brand of bourbon that has been revived by Grain and Barrel Spirits.
Established as a brand soon after the Bourbon Distillery was built in 1856, the whiskey's origins are rooted in Bourbon County farm distilling. James A. Miller began distilling as early as the 1830s. Known throughout the late 19th century as James A. Miller’s Chicken Cock, the brand would grow a solid reputation nationally and advertised itself as "The Famous Old Brand". Chicken Cock survived imitators, the Whiskey Trust, and Prohibition, only to fade from the market after World War II.
The brand was rediscovered by spirits entrepreneur Matti Anttila in 2011 and reintroduced in 2014 by Grain and Barrel Spirits, which produces a variety of bourbons, ryes, and limited releases distilled at Bardstown Bourbon Company in Bardstown, Kentucky.
History
In 1837, James A. Miller leased a farm off of Ruddles Mill Road in Bourbon County and began distilling whiskey. He promoted his copper-distilled Miller's Pure Old Bourbon Whiskey both by making an annual pilgrimage to New Orleans.
In November 1856, Miller purchased three acres of land on Stoner Creek in Bourbon County from a Cincinnati land speculator named David Gibson and his wife Sarah for $1,600 and an additional lot owned by Noah and Margaret Spears for $150. By January 1857, the Louisville-Courier-Journal was proclaiming Paris, Kentucky, as "the capital of the bourbon nation" and announced "Mr. James A. Miller, whose name is known wherever spirits are held in good repute, has erected a new distillery, that will manufacture daily thirty five barrels of the genuine oily old fashioned 'Bourbon'." It was completed at a reported cost of $75,000.
To maximize his production output, in January 1857 Miller advertised a need for 2,500 hogs, corn, wheat, and rye, from local sources. He called his establishment The Bourbon Distillery and continued to acquire more land along the stone fence along the Lexington-Maysville Turnpike.
Several tragedies befell the distiller, including a loss of two to three hundred hogs due to a cholera outbreak and 475 barrels of uninsured bourbon when the merchant vessel A.O. Tylor ran aground on the Ohio River. In 1860, James A. Miller passed away at 42 from undocumented circumstances. His family heirs put The Bourbon Distillery up for auction.
Tarr & White
In September 1860, Thomas P. Smith, Master Commissioner of the Bourbon County Circuit Court, auctioned off the Bourbon Distillery to local land speculator William Tarr. Tarr could not finance the purchase on his own and was given four years to raise the money. Meanwhile, James’ brother Joseph would handle the affairs of the distillery. It is during this time that advertisements began referring to the distillery’s flagship product as Miller’s celebrated Old Chicken Cock Whiskey.
The Title Deed for the Bourbon Distillery, and adjoining property near Stoner Creek was executed on April 23, 1864. William Tarr would bring Miller’s bookkeeper George G. White in on the deal and they paid Miller’s heirs $14,845 for the property. By January 1866, Tarr & White would be the richest men in Bourbon County.
During their four years together, they would stretch the distribution of the brand all the way to San Francisco, California, more than doubled the output of their nearest Bourbon County competitor in 1868, and boasted the only Class A Bonded warehouse.
White & Alexander
In September 1868, William Tarr sold his half of the business to grocer and whiskey speculator Charlton Alexander for $30,550 cash. The transaction included the Bourbon Distillery, bonded warehouse, land, machinery, brands and trademarks.
Now famous for their copper distilled bourbon, the pair would introduce James A. Miller’s Chicken Cock Rye in the 1870s. Because the firm sold their whiskey in barrels, it was very easy for unscrupulous retailers to pass off lower quality whiskey as the genuine article. To deter counterfeits, White & Alexander began branding the distillery name "J.A. Miller Old Bourbon Distillery" on one barrel head and "J.A. Miller Chicken Cock Whisky" on the other barrel head.
With increasing interest in the growing railroad industry, Charlton Alexander would sell his half of the company to George G. White in November 1878 for $25,000 cash. Soon after, the distillery would become known officially as the G. G. White Distillery and unofficially as the Chicken Cock Distillery.