What’s in a Name?
There are the names that, of course you’re familiar with, in the pantheon of bourbon’s historical legends. They include Evan Williams, Rev. Elijah Craig, Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr., Albert B. Blanton, Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle, and many others.
But there’s one legendary name you might have missed: Mary Dowling.
You say you’re not familiar with the name or her story? Kaveh Zamanian, founder of Rabbit Hole Distillery and Mary Dowling Whiskey Company, and co-author Eric Goodman have teamed up to fill the gap in our bourbon history knowledge.
The co-authors’ recently released book, “Mother of Bourbon,” is subtitled “The Greatest Whiskey Story Never Told.” And what a story it is. Mary Dowling was a business woman who ran a distillery empire and succeeded in a male-dominated environment for decades, philanthropist, wrongly convicted bootlegger, mother, civic leader, and champion of progressive causes.
“Mary Dowling was a true original — a woman who challenged convention and shaped the course of American whiskey. Bringing her to life on the page has been one of the most meaningful projects of my career. With ‘Mother of Bourbon,’ we’re not just honoring her, we’re giving her the place in history she always deserved and I’m excited for readers to be part of that journey.”
Kaveh Zamanian, Founder of Rabbit Hole Distillery, Mary Dowling Whiskey Company, and Co-Author of Mother of Bourbon
A Bourbon Story
Indeed, Mary’s life plays out like a historical novel or a movie script. Hers is a story full of exhilarating highs and soul-crushing lows that spanned some of the most formative decades of the bourbon industry, from the 1870s through Prohibition.
Born to poor Irish Catholic immigrants in 1859, Mary Ann Murphy was the oldest of ten children. She married John Dowling, an up-and-coming businessman who was more than twice her age, when she was just 15 years old. They settled in Anderson County, Kentucky where John became a cooper and distiller. Mary became a partner in their growing businesses, managing the books and having a keen understanding of financial matters. By the mid-1880s the couple owned three distilleries, including Waterfill and Frazier, and a cooperage. They moved into Dowling Hall, a 10,000 square-foot mansion, in Lawrenceburg.
After John’s untimely death in 1903 and the loss of their Waterfill and Frazier distillery to fire, Mary rebuilt the “Dowling Empire” bigger and better than before. Prohibition shut everything down and Mary and several of her 8 grown children was falsely charged in a sting operation with bootlegging. This led to a five year battle in the courts trying to clear their names.
And you won’t believe how 4800 bottles of whiskey that Mary legally owned “mysteriously disappeared” from a government warehouse, never to be seen again.
Eventually, Mary had the distillery dismantled and moved to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where its whiskey was sold legally all over Mexico and often found its way illegally back into a thirsty United States. (Mary said if she was going to be accused of bootlegging, why not?) When the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal, her two sons went to jail for a year and a day to let Mary stay home, but having to pay a $10,000 fine.
After an unlikely life as a strong and determined woman, succeeding in a world where few women even ventured, Mary died in 1930, surrounded by her family. Her legend has been there all along, but is just now coming to light.
A Tasting and Literary Experience
I was fortunate to recently attend a book reading and bourbon tasting at the Frazier History Museum, the official starting place of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail on Whiskey Row in Louisville. It was the kickoff of a national book tour by Zamanian.
Zamanian talked about the research that went into telling the facts of Mary’s story, assembled from “family anecdotes, court records, and newspaper accounts.” There were descendants of the Dowling family present that night at the Frazier event.
Unfortunately, no records of Mary’s actual words or writings exist, so Zamanian and co-author Goodman wrote the book as historical fiction, rather than a nonfiction book or as a biography.
The entertaining book reads like a novel, with imagined dialogue and conversations between the characters that bring the people to vibrant life. Zamanian said his main contribution to the book, in addition to research, was creating the dialogue. (Read an excerpt from the book below).
Zamanian told of his discovery of Mary Dowling years ago in several different bourbon histories, some where she wasn’t even mentioned by name. This led to the founding of the modern-day Mary Dowling Whiskey Company, which offers three expressions: Winter Wheat Whiskey, Tequila Barrel Whiskey, and Double Oak Barrel Whiskey.
As Zamaian told Mary’s story, he would stop and read passages from the book. There is nothing more satisfying than to hear an author read from their work in a live setting. But it’s even better when it’s interrupted with chances to taste the three different whiskeys now offered by Mary Dowling Whiskey Company.
A Welcome Addition to the Canon
My bookcase has an entire shelf overflowing with books related to the bourbon industry and its history. Mother of Bourbon is a welcome edition to the bourbon, whiskey, and distilled spirits canon. The story of Mary Dowling and her family is larger-than-life, painstakingly researched, and cleverly written. Pick up a copy of Mother of Bourbon and sit down to read it with your whiskey of choice in your glass (although I recommend Mary Dowling’s Double Oak Barrel).
Here’s a toast to Mary Dowling, the Mother of Bourbon!
An Excerpt from Mother of Bourbon
…then Mary led Heinsohn out of the new distillery and into the vast warehouse that merciful Mother of God had spared during last summer’s fire. Once they were safely inside, and alone with her twelve thousand barrels of aging bourbon, Mister Heinsohn asked, with a knowing gleam in his eye, “What happened to your old distiller, Missus Dowling? Milo Barnes, if I’m not mistaken?”
She considered her response, then decided to plunge ahead. This would either work with Heinsohn or not. “He was my husband’s distiller, Mister Heinsohn, not mine. He made fine whiskey, but he was loyal to John Dowling, not to me.” Their eyes met. “I couldn’t have that, you know.”
“As I thought,” Heinsohn smiled, just slightly, lips pressed together, so the smile was mostly in his eyes, and she would have missed it if she hadn’t been looking right at him. “You’re in charge now, so you vant men loyal to you.”
“You understand me.”
“I believe I do.” He reached into the inside pocket of his suit coat for the small notebook she would never see him without in all the years they’d work together. “And please,” he said, “call me Heinrich, if you don’t mind. I vould be happy for you to do so.”
She nodded, but did not ask him to call her Mary, though in the months to follow she would. “And now,” she said, “let me show you the barrels. For we have much work to do.”
Chapter Nine, “Mary on the March, 1904” Mother of Bourbon
Mary Dowling Whiskey Company
Winter Wheat ($54.99) offers a soft, elegant finish for those seeking a smooth and mellow experience. Gold winner at the World Whiskies Awards 2025.
Tequila Barrel ($75) introduces an adventurous twist, merging the boldness of whiskey with the vibrant notes of tequila. Silver at SF World Spirits Competition 2024 and Platinum at ASCOT Awards 2024.
Double Oak Barrel ($130) delivers a rich, layered complexity through an innovative aging process. Gold at SF World Spirits Competition 2024 and Gold at ASCOT Awards 2024.
Source: Mary Dowling Whiskey Company
About Mary Dowling Whiskey Company
(From the Distilery) Mary Dowling Whiskey is on a mission to restore the legacy of Mary Dowling to its rightful place in American hearts, minds, and glasses. Celebrating her pioneering spirit, we offer a range of exquisite whiskies, each crafted with meticulous care and dedication. Our Double Barrel Whiskey delivers a rich, layered complexity through an innovative aging process. The Tequila Barrel Whiskey introduces an adventurous twist, merging the boldness of whiskey with the vibrant notes of tequila. For those seeking a smooth and mellow experience, our Winter Wheat Whiskey offers a soft, elegant finish. Join us in honoring Mary Dowling’s legacy, one sip at a time.
About Kaveh Zamanian
Kaveh Zamanian is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst turned master whiskey maker. He fell in love with a Kentucky girl, moved to Louisville and decided to take a leap with her down the rabbit hole of bourbon, following his long-standing passion for fine spirits. He is the founder of Rabbit Hole and Mary Dowling Whiskey Companies and serves as the Chief Whiskey Officer for Pernod-Ricard, the second largest spirit company in the world. In recognition of his achievements, in 2022, he was inducted to the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, cementing his place among industry pioneers and visionaries. He resides with his wife (Kentucky girl) and children in Louisville, Kentucky.
About Eric Goodman
Eric Goodman is the author of seven previous novels, including “Curveball” (2024). Educated at Yale and Stanford, Goodman lives in Sonoma County and Mecklenburg, New York. For many years, he directed the creative writing program at Miami University (Ohio). His previous novels have been named Indies Finalist for General Fiction and Silver Book of the Year for Gay/Lesbian Fiction. He likes his whiskey neat.
Colonel Brian G. Miller is the Editor of Whiskey Network Magazine. His column, The Bourbon Tutor, covers the latest in bourbon tourism, events, culture, and history. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky. You can reach him at [email protected]
