Whiskey distilled from maize (corn) was first produced by Reverend Elijah Craig, a Baptist clergyman and distiller in Bourbon County, Kentucky, in the late 18th century. He is widely credited — though somewhat mythically — with the creation of what became known as bourbon whiskey, named after the county in which he lived. Craig’s use of charred oak barrels and a corn-based mash laid the foundation for what would become a distinctly American spirit.