Beam, Straight Up E-Book

Fred Noe

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 241

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

An insider's look at the Jim Beam brand, from a 7th generation Master Distiller Written by the 7th generation Beam family member and Master Distiller, Frederick Booker Noe III, Beam, Straight Up is the first book to be written by a Beam, the family behind the 217-year whiskey dynasty and makers of one of the world's best-selling bourbons. This book features family history and the evolution of bourbon, including Fred's storied youth "growing up Beam" in Bardstown, Kentucky; his transition from the bottling line to renowned global bourbon ambassador; and his valuable business insights on how to maintain and grow a revered brand. * Includes details of Fred Noe's life on the road, spreading the bourbon gospel * Describes Fred's journey to becoming the face of one of America's most iconic brands * Shares a simple primer on how bourbon is made * Offers cocktail and food recipes For anyone wanting a behind the scenes look at Jim Beam, and an understanding of the bourbon industry, Beam, Straight Up will detail the family business, and its role in helping to shape it.

Leseprobe

CONTENTS

Prologue

Foreword

Chapter 1: A Little History

Chapter 2: A Kentucky Boyhood

Chapter 3: Booker: Yes, Sir.

Chapter 4: College Man

Chapter 5: Starting Out

Chapter 6: The Making of a Bourbon Ambassador

Chapter 7: Road Warrior

Chapter 8: The World Isn’t As Big As I Thought

Chapter 9: Bourbon and Change

Chapter 10: The Beam Way

Chapter 11: Home

Appendix

Acknowledgments

Supplemental Images

Index

Cover image: Matt Barton

Cover design: Paul McCarthy

Copyright © 2012 by Jim Beam Brands Co. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Noe, Fred.

Beam, straight up : the bold story of the first family of bourbon / Fred Noe and Jim Kokoris.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-118-37836-6 (cloth); ISBN 978-1-118-43813-8 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-43815-2 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-43810-7 (ebk)

1. James B. Beam Distilling Company—History. 2. Noe, Fred. 3. Beam, James B., 1864-1947—Family. 4. Distillers—United States—Biography. 5. Whiskey industry—United States—History. I. Kokoris, Jim. II. Title.

HD9395.U47J366 2012

338.7’663522092273—dc23

2012026256

To my family, past, present, and future.

PROLOGUE

When they first asked me to write a book about my life, I wasn’t too keen on the idea. I’m not big on books, haven’t read as many as I probably should. Besides, I wasn’t sure I had that much to say. But the more I thought about it, the more I warmed to the idea. I guess my life’s as interesting as some, so why not?

Now, there’ve been books written about bourbon before. There’ve even been books written about my family and the company that they built, Beam Inc. So rather than go over subjects that have been covered, I thought I’d offer a little bit of everything: the history of the Jim Beam family and my memories of growing up in it; the history of bourbon and how it’s made; and the things I’ve learned from being the master distiller and ambassador of one of the world’s most recognizable brands, Jim Beam® Bourbon. And, just in case you’re thinking of starting your own business, I added my views, thoughts, and recommendations—free of charge—on how build a brand and a company for the long haul. I think I have a little insight into that, considering we’re more than 200 years old.

I guess in the end, this book is part entertainment, part educational, and maybe, just maybe a little inspirational. So sit back and pour yourself a drink. I had a big time writing this thing; hopefully you’ll have just as big a time reading it.

—Fred Noe,

Jim Beam’s great-grandson and

Master Distiller and Global Bourbon

Ambassador of Beam Inc.

FOREWORD

I like things honest and real. That’s why I like Fred Noe and the Jim Beam family. No pretensions, no smoke and mirrors, no posturing or posing. Just straightforward people, making a straightforward whiskey.

When I heard Fred was working on a book, my first thought was, “It’s about time.” He has stories to tell: about his family, particularly his larger-than-life father, Booker; about the whiskey he makes, which I’m proud to be sponsored by; and about himself. I’ve known Fred for years; he’s a natural entertainer—he’s lived the life—and this book is pure entertainment.

It’s also educational, offering its fair share of history. For more than 200 years, the Beam family has been part of our culture, the quintessential American company. Started on the frontier in the foothills of the Appalachians, it grew while our country grew. For seven generations the Beams persevered, making whiskey enjoyed by presidents, Civil War generals, musicians, writers, but most important, everyday people. For seven generations they’ve put their special craft first and worked hard at keeping a proud tradition alive: Jim Beam Bourbon, an American icon, known the world over.

So here’s to Fred and the Beams. Pioneers, artists, craftsmen, scientists—whiskey rock ’n’ rollers no doubt!

And here’s to a great book.

Cheers,

Kid Rock

CHAPTER 1

A LITTLE HISTORY

I was born on March 9, 1957, in the Baptist Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. At first, my grandfather, my mother’s father, refused to come see me because he was a serious Catholic and didn’t like the idea of me being born in a place where you could eat meat on Fridays. But he eventually came and we all went home in a brand new 1957 Ford Fairlane that my dad, Booker, bought just for the occasion. My dad said his son was coming home in style, so he ran his bank account down to $21 to buy that car, which was kind of a waste because I don’t remember that drive at all. But Booker had a flair for the dramatic, so that’s how I arrived in Bardstown, Kentucky, the Bourbon Capital of the World, a seventh-generation, soon-to-be whiskey-making Beam.

That’s the official, birth-certificate beginning of my story, but my story really starts a lot earlier—way back around 1790. That’s when—sit down now, this might take a while—my great-great-great-great-grandfather Jacob Beam crossed over into Kentucky from Maryland through the Cumberland Gap with his wife, Mary. Jacob was of German descent; his name was originally spelled “Boehm” and he, like a lot of people, was pushing westward, looking for a place he could put down roots, make a life.