Which bourbon was first marketed by George Garvin Brown in 1870 as Old Forester?

Old Forester was first marketed by George Garvin Brown in 1870.

Brown created the brand in Louisville, Kentucky, and sold it in sealed glass bottles. At a time when much whiskey was sold from barrels or filled by retailers, bottled branding helped establish a consistent product identity and offered customers greater protection against adulteration.

Old Forester is produced by Brown–Forman, the company that grew from George Garvin Brown’s original business. The brand survived Prohibition because it was authorized for medicinal whiskey, one of the limited legal exceptions during that period.

The name can be confused with Old Forester’s parent company, Brown–Forman. Old Forester is the whiskey brand, while Brown–Forman is the corporation that owns and produces it.