Interview with Al Young, December 16, 2013

Interview Summary

Al Young worked for Seagram Company for many years and held numerous titles including Distillery Manager and Four Roses Brand Ambassador. In this interview he discusses his career path and his duties in his various positions with Seagram Company and the Four Roses Distillery and tells several interesting stories about his historical finds and encounters with members of the Jones family during his time as Brand Ambassador. He talks about the fall in popularity of the Four Roses brand and how the company changed its image to once again become successful. He talks about the history of Four Roses including the possible origin of the brand name, the changes that have occurred to the distillery grounds over the years, and historical examples of Four Roses advertisements dating back to before Prohibition. Young discusses the future of the bourbon industry and Four Roses' plans to maintain the quality of their products.

Interview Keyword

Advertising Branding (Marketing) Distilleries--Kentucky Distillers Four Roses Kirin Biru Kabushiki Kaisha Seagram Company Whiskey industry--Kentucky--History whisky whiskey

Interview LC Subject

Bourbon whiskey Distillation Families. Whiskey

Interview Rights

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Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.