Perhaps because of its association with Mellon, then secretary of the treasury under Warren G. Harding, Old Overholt secured a permit for selling medicinal whiskey.

[6] In 1925, under pressure from prohibitionists, Mellon sold his share of the company to a New York grocer, thus ending local ownership.

[6] During World War II, the government ordered Overholt and other whiskey distilleries to make industrial alcohol.

[6] After the war's end, whiskey generally fell out of favor with the American public, as drinkers switched to vodka.

[6] In 1987, Old Overholt was sold to the James B. Beam Distilling Company, a subsidiary of American Brands, which moved production from Pennsylvania to Kentucky.

[8] The brand was parodied in a Warner Brothers cartoon, various issues of MAD Magazine and the Terry Pratchett novels The Dark Side of the Sun and Soul Music[9] as "Old Overcoat".

[6][1] Food critic Morgan Murphy said, "This very old brand of rye whiskey needles the drinker with zings of fruit flavors, grain bite, and sweet cereal notes.

"[10] Whisky writer Jim Murray said "creamy nose...citrus notes...very hard rye...momentarily moist and sweet before going on to perfect the driest, crispest finish of its genre".