Story
Hayward Conrad “H.C.” Haynes has bourbon in his blood—figuratively and sometimes literally. Born and raised in Georgetown, Kentucky, his childhood home sat only yards from the legendary Royal Spring, whose limestone-enriched waters have been the foundation of Kentucky bourbon for centuries.
For H.C., bourbon isn’t just a drink. It’s a culture, a history, and a lifelong pursuit. From stories of Elijah Craig’s distillery days to conversations about bourbon’s place in American life, H.C. has spent a lifetime studying what makes bourbon meaningful. Now, with Big Spring Bourbon, he brings his own unique “mash” to the table—an expression rooted in authenticity and crafted for those who know that true bourbon is about heritage as much as taste.
Big Spring Bourbon represents the proud legacy of Georgetown and the limestone spring that inspired its name. Our mantra is simple: to create exceptional small-batch bourbon, true to its roots, and to open a dialogue with bourbon lovers everywhere about tradition, taste, and culture.
Big Spring isn’t made for quick shots or soda mixes. It’s made for savoring. For conversation. For connection. And for carrying on a proud Kentucky story.
Taste
Nestled in the heart of Georgetown, Big Spring Bourbon embodies Kentucky’s time-honored traditions while embracing a modern edge. Each batch is crafted with care and precision, drawing on generations of expertise and the purest foundation possible—limestone-filtered water from the Royal Spring.
Our bourbon’s character is bold yet refined that lingers long after each sip. The complexity comes not just from the grain and barrel, but from the philosophy—bourbon is meant to be savored, not rushed.
Big Spring Bourbon is built for those who appreciate authenticity. It’s not about a “shot and a beer” or chasing cheap thrills—it’s about conversation, reflection, and enjoying the moment. A glass of Big Spring can ignite stories, spark laughter, or bring depth to a serious talk.
At the end of the day, a bit of great bourbon may bring conversation and enlightenment. And as we like to say: beware of those who don’t drink.
Experience the allure of Big Spring Bourbon—a tribute to Kentucky's finest traditions, bottled with the purity of Georgetown's royal spring water and a style as bold as it is timeless.
Legend
Elijah Craig was a Baptist preacher, entrepreneur, and distiller who settled in Georgetown, Kentucky in the late 1700s. The legend says that in 1789, a fire scorched the inside of his bourbon barrels—or in some versions, he deliberately charred reused barrels to cleanse them. When his whiskey aged inside the charred oak, it emerged with a deep amber color and mellow, smoky-sweet flavor unlike the raw corn liquor most frontiersmen knew. This accident—or innovation—was said to be the birth of bourbon.
Though historians debate the accuracy, the tale endures because it captures the spirit of early Kentucky: a mix of frontier hardship, faith, and ingenuity. Craig, a minister with a restless mind, built schools, mills, and churches alongside his distillery. Out of the ashes of a burned barn and a batch of blackened barrels came a drink that grew into an American identity. Bourbon, whether truly born in that fire or not, became tied forever to Elijah Craig’s name—a story of chance, persistence, and transformation, just like the charred wood that turned raw whiskey into something enduring.
Heritage
THE BIG ROYAL SPRING
OF GEORGETOWN, KENTUCKY
An average 27 million gallons of water flow daily from the hill-cave source of the Big Royal Spring just west of Water Street and College Street. About 1.6 million gallons of this limestone spring water is consumed each day by the people of Georgetown.
SPRING NOTES
- The largest Spring in Kentucky
- Source of city’s water since 1790
- Location of McClelland’s Fort 1775
- First Bourbon distilled here in 1789
- Site of first paper mill in Kentucky
- Site of Kentucky’s first ropewalk
- Location of pioneer classical academy site
