This simple question has different answers, as the contexts and semantics of what constitutes the oldest licensed distilleries become contentious and subject to interpretation. Changing definitions, meanings, and laws necessitate reader latitude: is it oldest from royal assent, grant, letters of patent, chartered right, parliamentary privilege, permit, registration, or licence? Does it need to be at the same site or in near-continuous production while allowing for reasonable plasticity in the event of forced closures due to wars, prohibitions, natural disasters, or temporary production disruptions caused by economic downturns?
While England had the first grain or proto-whisky distillers operating, it was not until 1689 that the British government began legally supervising distil-houses. In 1736, London peaked with more than 1,500 petty distilleries and 28 large malt distilleries, where gaugers regularly surveyed materials and production for excise duties. From the late 18th century, authorities issued permits, licences, and registrations. By the late 19th century, half a dozen English distilleries, plus a Welsh one, produced whisky; all ceased production by 1907. As none survived, no plaques for England and Wales.
Ireland’s first licensing statute was enacted in 1556. Brusna Distillery, later known as the Locke and then renamed Kilbeggan, obtained a licence in 1557. However, the distillery had long periods of closure, with Kilbeggan abandoned for most of the 20th century. In 1608, an ‘aqua-vitae licence’ was granted to Thomas Phillips. His distillery, situated in Coleraine, was relocated to Bushmills in 1784 and became known as the Old Bushmills Distillery. Near Cork, the Murphy brothers’ Midleton Distillery has been in continuous production since 1825.
Turning to Scotland, distillery licensing was introduced in 1784. Three distilleries have competing claims. The primary candidate was known as Milltown in 1745, previously called Milton, before becoming Strathisla in 1870. It has been in near-continuous operation at the same site since it was licensed in 1786. Next comes the Glenturret, which allegedly originated as the illicit Thurot ‘bothy’ pot-still, becoming the Hosh Distillery in 1775, and was first registered in 1816. It was then renamed the Glenturret Distillery in 1875. It is further in doubt as the distillery was set up at different locations across the large Ochtertyre Estate and decommissioned from 1923 to 1959. On Islay, Bowmore Distillery claims an illicit still dating to 1779, with first registration in 1816.
In North America, the 13 colonial assemblies granted licences until the federal government established a national licensing statute in 1792. Kentucky has the two oldest licensed distilleries, despite a period of licensing suspension from 1802 to 1814 and from 1818 to 1862. During the Civil War, Kentucky was under the Union Administration, which mandated licensing from July 1862, with the state accounting for more than 500 registered whisky distilleries. The oldest is Charles Burks’ small farm distillery, located near Loretto, built in 1805. It operated near-continuously as Burks Spring Distillery, purchased by William Samuels in 1953 and renamed Maker’s Mark. At Glenn’s Creek, Kentucky, Elijah Pepper erected a household still in 1813, raised to a one-bushel-a-day distillery in the early 1830s, then upgraded in 1838 to 25 bushels. It became known as Old Oscar Pepper Distillery, later Labrot & Graham, and had a 25-year hiatus before restarting in 1996 as Woodford Reserve.
The other state claiming registration longevity is Tennessee. The US army and federal treasury controlled Western Tennessee during the Civil War, licensing approximately 130 whisky distillers from 1862. Today, Jack Daniel’s Distillery is the state’s oldest surviving registered distillery, erected in 1884 as the Old Time Distillery on the site where Hiles & Berry operated a small log stillhouse, likely licensed late 1866.
Canada enacted licensing regulations in 1794, with Hiram Walker in Windsor operating the country’s oldest registered distillery since 1858.
