Since the dawn of reason and man's ability to comprehend oneself, alcohol has profoundly influenced the human race. Every social network has an individual who, when drunk, will profess their undying love for you. Let's not be coy, alcohol is a drug due to the simple fact that it is a mind altering substance. That's exactly why alcohol is the most preferred and accepted method of intoxication throughout the world. The following men exploited society's desire for booze, and built empires from the vine and barrel. "Here's to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems," and no the Irish didn't say that, it was Homer Simpson.

William Grant

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William Grant was born December 19th, 1839 in Dufftown, Scotland. Throughout his life William saved money until he could establish his own distillery, and upon Christmas day in 1887 opened the Glenfiddich distillery. William is the great-grandson of Alexander Grant of the Clan Grant. William and Elizabeth Grant had nine children, and all of them helped William build the Glenfiddich distillery. William died in 1923, and in 2008 his family was claimed to be the 3rd richest family in Scotland.

Facundo Bacardi

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Facundo Bacardi was born in the Barcelona province of Catalonia, Spain in 1814. Facundo left for Cuba in 1830 to find work, and by 1844 had opened his own mercantile shop. Facundo and his wife Amalia had six children, many who contributed to the establishment of the Bacardi rum distillery in 1862. Long before the bat was placed on Bacardi bottles Facundo signed his name to each bottle produced, as a way of ensuring consistent quality. Facundo turned the distillery over to sons Emilio, Facundo Jr., and Jose in 1877 and then died nine years later.

James Burrough

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Born in Devon, England James Burrough received an education in pharmacology. In 1863, James begins producing gin in the Chelsea distillery located on Cale Street in London, England. James' savvy for gin was found in the nine botanicals he combined to create Beefeater gin in 1876. James Burrough is accredited for establishing the premier "London" gin, as his is the only actually produced in London.

James and John Chivas

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James and John Chivas first enjoyed success opening a market in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1801. The Chivas Brothers were the first to receive royal warrants to supply the Royal Household with supplies and provisions. During the 1840's James Chivas began storing casks of whiskey to mature for aged blends, and during the 1850's the brothers began combining soft grain whiskey with single-malt Scotch to create smooth blends. James and John both dedicated their lives to the success of their products, and laid the foundation to what we now know as Chivas Regal.

Emmanuel Courvoisier

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In the 19th century Emmanuel Courvoisier alongside his partner Louis Gallois began crafting the eaux-de-vie brandy in the Parisan suburb of Bercy, France. Emmanuel is said to have met Napoleon Bonaparte in 1811, as he requested hundreds of bottles of Courvoisier for his retreat to St. Helena. Emmanuel never officially established Courvoisier, as his son Felix Courvoisier formally founded the company in 1835.

John Dewar

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John Dewar was born in 1805 in the small town of Shenavail, Scotland. John was well-educated, speaking both Gaelic and English, which proved to be useful in business. John and his brother were interested in business and established in Aberfeldy, Scotland. In 1846, John creates Dewar's blended Scotch whiskey within the Aberfeldy distilleries. John's impeccable taste is found in the location he selected, as the deepest loch, highest mountain, and longest glen of Scotland all meet, Aberfeldy.

Evan Williams

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Welsh born Evan Williams settled in Fincastle County, Virginia, which is presently Kentucky. Williams began farming, but soon realized that corn and other grains needed to be converted into whiskey to prevent product loss. Evan established his distillery on the Ohio River in what is presently Louisville, Kentucky. Evan Williams supervised the construction of the Jefferson County Jail in 1802, as well as being the Harbor Master of the port of Louisville. Evan died in 1810, and is considered Kentucky's original distiller.

Alexander Gordon

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Alexander Gordon established Gordon's gin distillery in Southwark, London in 1769. Alexander moved his distillery to Clerkenwell in 1786, a district known for its pure waters. Since Alexander created the distillery only 12 people have known and currently know the gin recipe. Gordon's gin is a famousingredient in the James Bond Vesper Martini.

Richard Hennessy

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In 1765, Irish aristocrat Richard Hennessy established an eaux-de-vie trading company in the Cognac region of France. Richard Hennessy was a mercenary for King Louis XV, and for his service was given the land he used to start his company. In 1800, Richard introduces his first master blender, Jean Fillioux. In 1817, Richard delivers Hennessy V.S.O.P. to George IV further expanding his company to the aristocracy.

Jack Daniel

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Born Jasper Newton Daniel in Lynchburg, Tennessee of Welsh descent, Jack Daniel is the renowned creator of the most recognized American whiskey. Jack was one of thirteen children, and even though he was from a large family, never had a family of his own. Jack Daniel favored his nephew Lem Motlow, who became the bookkeeper for the company. In 1907, due to failing health, Jack turned the distillery over to Lem. Jack died in 1911 from blood poisoning due to an infection that he supposedly got from kicking his safe one morning, as records indicate he regularly forgot the combination.

John Jameson

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Born October 5th, 1740 John Jameson, contrary to popular belief, is Scottish, not Irish. In the 1770's, John moved to Dublin to begin production of his own whiskey. John established his business at the Bow Street Distillery, where he selected ingredients, distilled, and stored his products. John shared his wealth among the workers at Bow Street; he paid excellent wages and often drank with his employees. John was well-known in Dublin for his parties and gave nicknames to all his workers at the distillery.

Jacob Beam

source In 1778, Jacob Beam moves from Virginia to Kentucky, and begins farming in order to create bourbon. 1789-1795, Jacob Beam experiments with distilling bourbon and casking in charred barrels. In 1795, Jacob Beam sells his first barrel of whiskey. In 1820, Jacob turns the business over to his son, David Beam. Jacob's great grandson, James Beam, a.k.a. Jim, revived the company after prohibition, and the bourbon whiskey now bears his name.

Jose Cuervo

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Jose Cuervo received a land grant from the King of Spain in the state of Jalisco, Mexico in 1758. Within the same year, he established a distillery in the town of Tequila, near Guadalajara. His son, Jose Cuervo was granted the first license from the King of Spain to produce tequila. The distillery Jose founded, is named La Rojena, and is said to be the oldest tequila distillery in the western hemisphere.

Johnnie Walker

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Born in Kilmarnock, Ayshire, Scotland John Walker established a grocery shop on High Street in Kilmarnock in 1820. John was a leader of the local trade association, a respected businessman, as well as a Freemason. John's store suffered a flood in 1852 that destroyed his entire stock, and in 1856 his son Alexander persuaded him to turn their efforts toward wholesale distribution. John's son Alexander proved to be the catalyst that catapulted Johnnie Walker Scotch whiskey to worldwide prominence.

Sir Henry Morgan

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Born in 1635, the Welsh Henry Morgan lived his life as a privateer and pirate in the Caribbean Sea. Henry was the most successful privateer from Wales, England as well as the most dangerous pirate working in the Spanish Main. Morgan's battlefield tactics proved tricky and uneasy to deal with, especially for his rivals, the Spaniards. Morgan also acted as Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica proving there wasn't much he couldn't do. Morgan died in 1688, the cause of his death is debatable, as some believe liver failure to be the cause, and others insist he died of tuberculosis.

Remy Martin

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Remy Martin established his brandy distillery in the Cognac region of France in 1724. Originally a wine maker, Remy Martin saw the potential gain from producing an eaux-de-vie, for those wanting more than wine. In 1731, Louis XV gives Remy Martin permission to plant new vines to produce cognac despite a vine ban in 1731. Martin's descendants have all followed the same standards and recipes put forth from the founding of the cognac.

Cenobio Sauza

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Born in Jalisco, Mexico in 1842 Cenobio Sauza traveled to Tequila, Mexico after working on his family's farm for 16 years. Cenobio found work in Tequila at Jose Cuervo's distillery, where he learned to harvest the agave plant and distill the mescal-tequila concoction. In 1873 he purchased the La Antigua Cruz distillery and renamed it La Perseverancia. In the same year, Sauza became the first to import tequila into the United States. In the 1890's, Cenobio discovered the blue agave plant to produce the finest tequila setting the standard for the tequila market.

Pyotr Smirnov

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The son of illiterate parents, Pyotr Smirnov was born in 1831 with little hope, and even less opportunity. Pyotr received an education and opened his distillery in Moscow, Russia during the 1860's. In the 1870's Smirnov pioneered in charcoal filtration of vodka, and became the first to utilize newspapers to sell his product in the 1880's. Smirnov's vodka was reportedly the tzar's favorite brand of vodka. Pyotr was succeeded by his third son, Vladimir Smirnov, upon his death in 1898.

Charles Tanqueray

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Charles Tanqueray descended from three generations of clergy of the village of Tingrith in Bedfordshire, England. When he was 20 years old Charles decided not to become a clergyman, and opted for buying a distillery in the Bloomsbury district of London. Tanqueray gin was initially established by Charles in 1830. In 1868 Charles died leaving operations and ownership to his heir, Charles Tanqueray. The still named "Old Tom" is the only still surviving from the original distillery owned by Charles, as the others were destroyed in the air raids of World War 2.

These men all share one common interest: alcohol. Without their pioneering spirit and desire to produce the finest liquor we wouldn't enjoy these great labels. Whether you’re sipping cognac by a fire, taking shots of whiskey at a bar, or chugging the rum straight from the bottle we can all appreciate the tenacity and business savvy of the aforementioned men. Their brands have withstood the test of time, and it's definitely not a secret why. These men staked their names to their products, if one were to fail then surely the other was to follow. Just as their products age and become finer with age, so do these great brands of alcohol. Now, who wants to go get some drinks?

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