It’s always a breath of fresh air when you come across a business that puts quality over profits, and Old Rip Van Winkle is just such a business. Their bourbon sprang from the mind and labors of Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle, who, four generations ago, “simply tried to be honest and make a good product.”

Yep. His words. This traveling-whiskey-salesman-turned-entrepreneur started producing fine bourbon during and after Prohibition, helping to craft the bourbon world as we know it today. His son, Julian Jr., took over in 1964 but found himself out of a job several years later when the family sold the business. Not to be deterred, he formed his own company, J.P. Van Winkle and Son. Though the primary business was marketing, he never gave up bottling on the side. Old Rip Van Winkle was one such side venture.

Julian III (his son) inherited the family business in 1981 upon the death of his father. The business wasn’t exactly booming. But charged with the force of his legacy and the passion of his forefathers, he purchased a Lawrenceburg, Kentucky distillery and began bottling Old Rip Van Winkle with a vengeance. The quality of his product raised eyebrows all over the place. His son Preston decided to join the family business in 1999, and together, they have continued to use Pappy’s original recipe to produce one of the earth’s finest bourbons.