History

James A. Miller, the original founder of the Chicken Cock Whiskey brand, began his journey as a farmer and distiller in the late 1830’s (meaning we can tie our brand’s roots back almost 200 years!). His exceptional whiskey, hailing from Bourbon County, became widely known for its high quality and great flavor throughout this early stage of bourbon history in America. The whiskey he produced was known as “Miller’s Old Bourbon” during this time.

James A. Miller purchases what was then an incomplete distillery in Paris, KY (what eventually became the Chicken Cock Distillery) in 1855, and completes construction at a rumored cost of $75,000 in 1856. Situated off E. Main Street in Paris, the county seat of Bourbon County, Miller’s operation was synonymous with the acclaimed whiskey it produced.

With J.A. Miller’s famed whiskey experiencing large success, acclaim, and distribution in the US, things were off to a great start for the brand. However, just 4 years after opening his new distillery in Paris, KY, Miller dies at the young age of 42. This left the distillery and brand’s future in jeopardy. George G. White, a former clerk to Miller, purchases the rights to the brand and operation to carry on Miller’s legacy.

Prior to opening the distillery in 1856, James Miller called his bourbon brand “Miller’s Old Bourbon”. It’s not until his passing and new ownership that they we see the first public advertisement for “JA Miller’s Chicken Cock Whiskey”. Given Miller’s farming roots, roosters being symbols of defiance and pride, and the more common phrase for a rooster being a “chicken cock” for that era, our unforgettable name was born, and our crow-worthy whiskey became legendary.

Success inspires imitation, and Chicken Cock Whiskey was no exception to this rule. In 1889 George G. White discovered a Boston-based whiskey brand called “Miller’s Gamecock" who had been making subpar whiskey, all while using roosters in their advertisements and having an all-too-resembling name to J.A. Miller’s Chicken Cock. In an effort to maintain their high-reputation name and the legacy of the brand, George G. White took Miller’s Gamecock to court for trademark infringement, and handily won the case in Boston.

While distillery fires can still occur today, they were far too commonplace early on. In 1890, a doubler exploded at the distillery causing whiskey to cover a majority of the surrounding buildings. This fire caused $30,000 in damages to the distillery, or over $1 million in today’s money, causing George G. White to look at his options to sell off the brand.