HISTORY
AND HERITAGE
How we do, what we do — and where we do it — are equally important when it comes to making bourbon the right way.
OUR MASTER DISTILLERS
OUR HISTORY
A rich past ushers in a bold future. Discover the history of our bourbon.
1855-1940
THE BIRTH OF WILD TURKEY
1855
Wholesale grocer Austin Nichols begins selling wine and spirits. The business would later go on to own and sell Wild Turkey.
1869
The Ripy brothers open their family distillery on Wild Turkey Hill in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.
1893
The Ripy Brothers’ bourbon represents Kentucky at the World’s Fair in Chicago, Illinois.
1940
Wild Turkey Bourbon gets its name after a distillery executive shares his bourbon with friends on an annual hunting trip — of course, they were after wild turkey.
1954-1995
THE RUSSELL EFFECT
1954
Master Distiller Jimmy Russell joins Wild Turkey. He learns his craft from becomes the third in a line of master distillers for the brand which includes second master distiller, Bill Hughes, and Ernest W. Ripy, son of the original distiller.
1976
Wild Turkey introduces the world’s first bourbon liqueur, introducing a broader audience and attracting even more drinkers to the bourbon world. The liqueur would eventually lead to the creation of American Honey.
1981
Eddie Russell, son of Jimmy Russell, joins Wild Turkey as a relief operator and begins to work his way up the distillery ladder.
1991
Wild Turkey introduces our premium Rare Breed bourbon, one of the first barrel proof bourbons to hit the market.
1995
Wild Turkey follows it up with the launch of Kentucky Spirit, a single-barrel 101-proof bourbon, one of the only single barrel American whiskey offerings of the time.
2000 – TODAY
THE NEW VISION
2000
Master Distiller Jimmy Russell is inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame.
2004
Jimmy Russell celebrates his 50th year at the Wild Turkey distillery.
2010
Eddie Russell is inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame by his father, Jimmy Russell.
2015
Eddie Russell is officially given the title of Master Distiller, then making Jimmy and Eddie the only active father and son duo of bourbon Master Distillers in the world.
2016
Famed actor and bourbon enthusiast Matthew McConaughey joins Wild Turkey as Creative Director.
2018
Wild Turkey introduces Longbranch, a small-batch bourbon refined with Texas Mesquite and American Oak charcoals, and the first co-creation from Master Distiller Eddie Russell and Creative Director Matthew McConaughey.
2020
Wild Turkey introduces Rare Breed Rye, our premium quality, masterfully crafted barrel proof rye.
CRAFTING AN AMERICAN ICON
From our rich distilling traditions to the art of a barrel aging, making Wild Turkey isn’t easy. But if we did it any other way, it just wouldn’t be Wild Turkey. Learn about what goes in to producing an American icon.
International 
United States 
Australia 
Italy 
Japan 
Andorra 
United Arab Emirates 
Afghanistan 
Antigua & Barbuda 
Anguilla 
Albania 
Armenia 
Angola 
Argentina 
American Samoa 
Austria 
Aruba 
Azerbaijan 
Bosnia & Herzegovina 
Barbados 
Bangladesh 
Belgium 
Burkina Faso 
Bulgaria 
Bahrain 
Burundi 
Benin 
St. Barthélemy 
Bermuda 
Brunei 
Bolivia 
Brazil 
Bahamas 
Bhutan 
Botswana 
Belarus 
Belize 
Canada 
Cocos (Keeling) Islands 
Congo - Kinshasa 
Central African Republic 
Congo - Brazzaville 
Switzerland 
Côte d’Ivoire 
Cook Islands 
Chile 
Cameroon 
China 
Colombia 
Costa Rica 
Cuba 
Cape Verde 
Christmas Island 
Cyprus 
Czechia 
Germany 
Djibouti 
Denmark 
Dominica 
Dominican Republic 
Algeria 
Ecuador 
Estonia 
Egypt 
Western Sahara 
Eritrea 
Spain 
Ethiopia 
Finland 
Fiji 
Falkland Islands 
Micronesia 
Faroe Islands 
France 
Gabon 
United Kingdom 
Grenada 
Georgia 
French Guiana 
Ghana 
Gibraltar 
Greenland 
Gambia 
Guinea 
Guadeloupe 
Equatorial Guinea 
Greece 
Guatemala 
Guam 
Guinea-Bissau 
Guyana 
Hong Kong SAR China 
Honduras 
Croatia 
Haiti 
Hungary 
Indonesia 
Ireland 
Israel 
Isle of Man 
India 
Iraq 
Iran 
Iceland 
Jersey 
Jamaica 
Jordan 
Kenya 
Kyrgyzstan 
Cambodia 
Kiribati 
Comoros 
St. Kitts & Nevis 
North Korea 
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Kuwait 
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Laos 
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Liberia 
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North Macedonia 
Mali 
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Martinique 
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Montserrat 
Malta 
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Maldives 
Malawi 
Mexico 
Malaysia 
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New Caledonia 
Niger 
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Venezuela 
British Virgin Islands 
U.S. Virgin Islands 
Vietnam 
Vanuatu 
Wallis & Futuna 
Samoa 
Yemen 
Mayotte 
South Africa 
Zambia 
Zimbabwe 
