Michter's has one of the strangest origin stories in bourbon: a Swiss Mennonite farmer named John Shenk started distilling rye whiskey in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania in 1753—making it one of America's oldest continuously-operating distillery brands. The brand survived Prohibition, Temperance movements, and economic collapse, only to be revived in the 1990s by Harvard Law School graduate and bourbon enthusiast Joseph J. Magliocco, who'd fallen in love with the whiskey as a college bartender. Construction on Michter's modern Kentucky facility began in 2012 in Shively, just outside Louisville. But Michter's didn't stop there—in 2018, they opened the stunning Fort Nelson location right on Museum Row in downtown Louisville, housed in a beautifully restored historic building. Today, the company splits operations: Shively handles the heavy production, while Fort Nelson serves as the public-facing showroom and tasting destination. The brand's reputation for astronomical prices (their 20- and 25-year releases regularly fetch $1,000+ at retail and far more on the secondary market) combined with their meticulous barrel selection has made them one of bourbon's most coveted names.
- The original Shenk's distillery ran continuously in Pennsylvania for over 160 years, making Michter's claim to 1753 one of the oldest in American spirits history (though some industry historians dispute this dating)
- Lou Forman, a mid-20th century owner, created the modern "Michter's" name by combining his sons' names: Michael and Peter
- Joseph Magliocco attended Harvard Law School and could have been a lawyer—instead he's a bourbon obsessive who revived an entire brand
- Michter's 25-Year release is so limited (385 bottles in 2023) that secondary market prices often reach $6,000-$9,000 per bottle
- Only select barrels are deemed "elegant enough" to earn the age statement; many barrels are held far longer than their label suggests
- The Fort Nelson building on Museum Row was a historic landmark that Michter's restored to bourbon-tasting glory