The Whiskey Brand Breakdown: Who Owns What in the Spirits World

Walking into a liquor store to buy a bottle of whiskey can be overwhelming. Shelves are lined with dozens of brands and labels — each with its own story. But behind those labels, many bottles come from the same parent company or even the same distillery, despite what the branding might suggest.

Take Elijah Craig, for example. Its label reads, “Distilled and Bottled at the Elijah Craig Distillery Co.” Yet if you search for that on Google Maps, no such distillery appears. The same applies to Blanton’s, which prominently features “Blanton Distilling Company,” even though it’s made at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Why Distillery Transparency Matters

Many whiskey companies own multiple brands and distilleries, sometimes using different names for marketing. While that doesn’t mean similar-sounding products are identical or misleading, being an informed consumer can help when deciding what whiskey is worth your money.

Here’s a breakdown of major whiskey corporations and their full portfolios. We’ll focus on whiskey brands, though most of these companies also produce vodka, rum, gin and other spirits.

Breaking Down the Brands of Major Whiskey Companies

Whiskey companies can have a laundry list of brands, which can have multiple products under each label, or even multiple distilleries.  Now, just because similar sounding whiskies are coming from one distillery doesn’t mean they are the exact same or trying to profit off of name recognition, but always having transparency and as much information as a consumer is beneficial when deciding where to spend your money.  So let’s take a look at the portfolios of the biggest corporations.  We will focus on whiskey brands, but most also produce different categories of spirits as well.

Beam-Suntory (Japan/USA)

Beam Suntory owns several of the most recognizable American, Canadian, Irish, Japanese, and Scotch whiskey brands.

American Whiskey

Jim Beam Distillery (Clermont, Kentucky)

• Baker’s
• Basil Hayden’s
• Booker’s
• Jim Beam
• Knob Creek
• Legent
• Old Crow
• Old Grand-Dad
• Old Overholt
• Red Stag

Maker’s Mark Distillery (Loretto, Kentucky)

Canadian Whisky

Walkerville Distillery (Ontario, Canada)

• Canadian Club

Alberta Distillery (Alberta, Canada)

• Alberta Premium
• Alberta Springs
• Windsor

Irish Whiskey

Killbeggan Distillery (County Westmeath, Ireland)

• 2 Gingers
• Connemara
• Killbeggan
• Tyrconnel

Japanese Whisky

Chita Distillery

Hakushu Distillery

Yamazaki Distillery

Blends

Hibiki

Toki

Scotch Whisky

Ardmore Distillery

Auchentoshan Distillery

Bowmore Distillery

Glen Garioch Distillery

Laphroaig Distillery

McClelland Distillery

Blends

Teacher’s

Brown-Forman (USA)

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Brown-Forman is a major player in American and Scotch whiskies.

American Whiskey

Jack Daniel’s (Tennessee)

Old Forester

• Cooper’s Craft
• Old Forester

Woodford Reserve

Irish Whiskey

Slane Distillery (Slane, Ireland)

Scotch Whisky

Benriach Distillery

Glendronach Distillery

Glenglassaugh Distillery

Constellation Group

Though not as large as others, Constellation owns a few respected American whiskey labels.

American Whiskey

High West Distillery

Nelson Green Brier

• High West (Park City, Utah)
• Nelson’s Green Brier (Nashville, Tennessee)

Diageo (UK)

Diageo is one of the largest spirits companies in the world with a broad whiskey portfolio across continents.

American Whiskey

Bulleit Distillery (Shelbyville, Kentucky)

Cascade Hollow Distillery (Tullahoma, Tennessee)

• Cascade Moon
• George Dickel

Stitzel-Weller Distillery (Louisville, Kentucky)

• Blade and Bow

Blends

Seagram’s 7 Crown

Canadian Whisky

Gimli Distillery (Manitoba, Canada)

• Crown Royal

Scotch Whisky

Multiple Distilleries Across Scotland

Caol Ila Distillery

Cardhu Distillery

Cragganmore Distillery

Dalwhinnie Distillery

Glen Elgin Distillery

Glen Ord Distillery

Glenkinchie Distillery

Knockando Distillery

Lagavulin Distillery

Oban distillery

Talisker distillery

Blends

Buchanan’s

Haig

Johnnie Walker

Vat 69

White Horse

Other Brands

Orphan Barrel

Heaven Hill 

Based in Bardstown, Kentucky, Heaven Hill is one of the largest independently owned distilleries in the U.S.

American Whiskey

Evan Williams Experience

• Square 6

Heaven Hill Distillery

• Bernheim
• Cabin Still
• Echo Spring
• Elijah Craig
• Evan Williams
• Fighting Cock
• Five Brothers
• Georgia Moon
• Heaven Hill
• Henry McKenna
• J.T.S. Brown
• J.W. Dant
• Kentucky Deluxe
• Kentucky Supreme
• Larceny
• Mellow Corn
• Old Fitzgerald
• Parker’s Heritage Collection
• Pikesville
• Rittenhouse
• T.W. Samuels
• Virgin

Canadian Whisky

Black Velvet Distillery (Alberta, Canada)

Pernod Ricard (France)

American Whiskey

Firestone & Robertson

• TX Whiskey

Rabbit Hole Distillery

Smooth Ambler Distillery

Canadian Whisky

Hiram Walker Distillery (Ontario, Canada)

• Hiram Walker
• JP Wiser
• Lot 40

Irish Whiskey

Midleton Distillery (County Cork, Ireland)

• Jameson
• Midleton
• Powers
• Redbreast
• Spot Whiskeys

Scotch Whisky

Aberlour Distillery

Allt-A-Bhainne

Breaval Distillery

Caperdonich Distillery

Dalmunach Distillery

Dumbarton Distillery

Glen Keith Distillery

Glenallachie Distillery

Glenburgie Distillery

Glenlivet Distillery

Glentauchers Distillery

Longmorn Distillery

Miltonduff Distillery

Scapa Distillery

Strathclyde Distillery

Strathisla Distillery

Tormore Distillery

Blends

100 Pipers

Ballantine’s

Barrelhound

Chivas Regal

Clan Campbell

Doctor’s Special

Long John

Passport

Sazerac Company (USA)

Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, Sazerac owns some of the most sought-after bourbon brands.

American Whiskey

A. Smith Bowman Distillery (Virginia)

• Bowman

Barton 1792 Distillery (Bardstown, Kentucky)

• 1792
• Barton
• Colonel Lee
• Flatboat
• Thomas S. Moore
• Tom Moore
• Very Old Barton

Buffalo Trace Distillery (Frankfort, Kentucky)

• Ancient Age
• Benchmark
• Blanton’s
• Buffalo Trace
• Col. E.H. Taylor
• Eagle Rare
• Elmer T. Lee
• George T. Stagg
• Hancock’s Presidential Reserve
• Old Charter
• Old Charter Oak
• O.F.C.
• Old Taylor
• Rock Hill Farms
• Sazerac
• Single Oak Project
• Stagg Jr.
• Thomas H. Handy
• Van Winkle
• Weller

Glenmore Distillery (Owensboro, Kentucky)

• Kentucky Gentleman
• Kentucky Tavern
• Zackariah Harris

Other Brands

• Colonel Lee
• Early Times
• Fireball
• Fleischmann’s
• Imperial
• Legacy
• Mister Sam
• Old Thompson
• Southern Comfort
• Ten High

Canadian Whisky

Canadian Mist Distillery

Les Distilleries Sazerac du Canada

Other Brands

• Caribou Crossing
• Rich & Reserve
• Seagram’s V.O.

Indian Whisky

• Paul John

Irish Whiskey

• Michael Collins
• Paddy

Scotch Whisky

• Imperial
• John Begg
• Last Drop Distillers

Willett Distillery (USA)

Willett is an independent distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, producing small-batch bourbon and rye.

American Whiskey

Willett Distillery

• Johnny Drum
• Kentucky Vintage
• Noah’s Mill
• Old Bardstown
• Pure Kentucky
• Rowan’s Creek
• Willett

Final Thoughts: One Industry, Many Names

As you can see, just eight corporations control a vast portion of the whiskey market. Brands that seem unrelated might come off the same bottling line, and companies are constantly buying or selling labels to grow their portfolio and profits.

This isn’t a critique of the whiskey itself. Instead, it’s a look behind the curtain — one that reveals just how interconnected the world of whiskey has become.