[5] Following the repeal of prohibition by the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment the Stitzel–Weller Distillery was built by Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr.,[a] along with Alex T. Farnsley,[b] and Arthur Phillip Stitzel.

[4] Outside, the owners displayed a sign reading "no chemists allowed", an homage to their belief that distilling should be treated as "an art, not a science".

[6] A number of brands were sold off to other companies, such as Heaven Hill and Buffalo Trace, and the facility finally closed in 1992, although some products, such as Bulleit and Crown Royal continued to be aged there.

[5][10][11][12] Speaking of the opening, Diageo CEO, Larry Schwartz said, "We are the heirs of Pappy Van Winkle and certainly the great brands that were distilled here through the years.

Weller to the Ancient Age distillery, to eventually be distilled by Buffalo Trace under the Sazerac Company, and the Old Fitzgerald brand to Heaven Hill.

McGill was previously affiliated with the Early Times and Tom Moore distilleries in Nelson County, Kentucky, and when he died in 1952, he was the "oldest executive distiller in the industry" at 87.

[4] Beginning on September 16, 2014, the site became a tourism attraction called the "Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience" as part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.