Our Story
Introducing A.J. Schreiner Spirits, a legacy-based craft whiskey brand devoted to resurrecting the illustrious pre-prohibition era of rye whiskey through the lens of our Great-Great Grandfather, A.J. Schreiner.
The journey began with a simple yet profound question posed by my father A.F. Schreiner to his own K.A. Schreiner: “Why are we not in the whiskey business like all of our grandpas?” This question, echoing through generations, ignited passion to re-introduce A.J. Schreiner’s whiskey legacy to the connoisseurs of today.
A.J. Schreiner Spirits proudly honors A.J.’s contributions to the world of “Pre-Pro” whiskeys, seeking to revive the liquor meticulously crafted by one of the preeminent distillers of that era. Between 1882 and 1936, A.J. meticulously recorded fifty years of distilling brilliance in secret distiller notebooks, a legacy passed down through generations within the Schreiner family.
These notebooks bequeathed to Ken and Maria Schreiner have inspired a new generation of Schreiners to develop in homage, our unique brand, A.J. Schreiner Spirits.
A.J. Schreiner
June, 6th 1866 – April 4th, 1936
One of the most brilliant minds in distilling over the last 150 years, A.J. Schreiner is the man to which our brand proudly pays homage.
A.J. Schreiner, considered by the contemporaries of his era to be an expert “Yeast Maker” and “Chief Distiller,” was one of the few whiskey heroes who distilled as an artisan before the rapid rise of whiskey industrialization. He continued distilling in mass during Prohibition and returned to America at the repeal of Prohibition to run the largest Big 4 producers of the time, Schenley.
A.J. was born in New Albany, Indiana on June 6th, 1867 to two German immigrants. His parents migrated to America and landed in the New York Harbor on New Years Eve 1846. A.J. and his younger brother J.J.’s lives were sadly marred with tragedy. Both boys were given up for adoption at a very young age after a tragic wagon accident left their mother dead and the two boys without parental support.
The first records of A.J. in the whiskey business come from an amazing photo and corresponding distiller’s notebook entries circa 1882. The photo shows a young A.J. Schreiner standing outside Old Times Distillery #297 at 28th and Broadway in Louisville, Kentucky. In the photo, young A.J. can be seen holding a mash rake in his hand, surrounded by seasoned pre-industrialization distillers. That very distillery, The Old Times Distillery, went on to win both the 1895 and 1903 World’s Fair Grand Prize for its whiskey.
As time passed and word of A.J.’s work ethic and brilliance continued to spread, Chief Distiller roles with Old Times, White Mills, Lynndale, Seagrams, Canadian Distillers LTD, Sam Grabfelder, Sunnybrook, and Schenley proceeded.
Outside of distilling, A.J. was a dedicated family man who fathered 4 boys that all became notable distillers in their own right. The eldest, F.L., ran the Canadian Distillers Corporation during Prohibition and Bellemeade Distillery in Virginia. Post prohibition, A.J. II, who succeeded A.J. as the Master Distiller for Schenley, Lutz who went on to run James Pepper in Lexington, KY, and Alvin, who was a distiller in Canada.
As if A.J. had clear visibility into the future, he recorded 50 years of his distilling genius into 5 distilling notebooks that spanned from 1882 to 1936. In these books he covered everything from distillery setups to yeast strains, mash cooking methods, still designs, pH levels, and even mash bills for some of the most well-known pre-prohibition distilleries.
Finally, 88 years after the famed distiller’s death, the man for whom our brand pays homage will finally have his contributions to the world of “pre-pro” and early “post-prohibition” distilling commemorated. Our family is humbled and excited to share his exceptionalism with you. It is our sincere hope that you taste the reverence for the methods that made A.J. Schreiner’s Prohibition era whiskeys the gold standard of its time.
Colonel J.J. Schreiner
July 9th, 1865 – February 23rd, 1939
J.J. Schreiner, brother of A.J. Schreiner, was commonly referred to within the family as the “flim-flam man”, which is verbiage of the day that meant “not one to be trusted.” Growing up as the eldest boy of the Schreiner clan, J.J. endured a very difficult life early on–losing his mother, in and out of Catholic Orphanages, and shipped from local farm to farm for free labor.
“Interesting” occupations seemed to be J.J.’s calling. He dabbled in unique occuptations, such as “horse racing expert” for the Denver Post, the “Six for Five” man in Butte, Montana, where he sold tips on winning racehorses, an “oil claim” locator in Sheridan, Wyoming, and toward the end of his life, became an expert gin maker for Schenley’s Old Quaker Gin.
Sadly, very few records exist for J.J. Schreiner during Prohibition. Those that do exist are typically limited to horse racing wins, trips to New Orleans, and charity work for orphanages throughout Kentucky, which leaves us with even more questions. How or when did J.J. Schreiner receive his “Colonel” designation? What was he doing during Prohibition that allowed him to travel, donate to charity, and become a bit of a celebrity locally? We can only assume.
The inspiration for J.J.’s Kentuckiana Gin comes from J.J.’s unique past and the fantastic Schenley gins of J.J.’s production era. J.J.’s Kentuckiana Gin is an earthy rye-based gin with vanilla undertones, a citrus nose, and sweet honeysuckle finish that is perfect for a cool evening or a hot summer day. This delightful Kentuckiana Gin is the brainchild of Master Distiller Alan Bishop and Ken Schreiner. Paying homage to J.J.’s contributions of post-prohibition gin and the Schreiner family legacy of distillers, this Kentuckiana–inspired gin incorporates local flavors and continues to honor heritage pre-prohibition of rye–based spirits.
F.L. Schreiner
August 26th, 1896 – March 1st, 1982
Born on August 26th, 1896 in Louisville, Kentucky, Fulton Leslie Schreiner was the eldest son of famed distiller A.J. Schreiner and future outlaw of the Schreiner family. Fulton, born into the charming and changing world of whiskey, watched the spirits industry transform itself from an artisan’s craft to the mass industrialization of whiskey production that was prominent in the run up to the Prohibition.
During his time working and learning from his father (and anyone else who would teach him) F.L. became revered in whiskey circles as a man who would do anything to get the job done.
On August 15, 1918, 21-year-old Fulton was struck by an electric trolley car at 18th and Dumesnil Streets in downtown Louisville, while hauling away Mash Slop from White Mills distillery where his father was the Chief Distiller. The trolley car crushed F.L.’s hips and broke both legs, leaving him disabled while the entire whiskey world was slowly melting down.
In November 1919, the state of Kentucky declared itself to be a “dry state” in accordance with the Volstead act which had just been passed in October 1919. F.L., now wounded, disabled, and unemployable, used his Schreiner grit and determination to become a known face in distilling…legal or otherwise.
During Prohibition, Fulton went on to become both a Head Distiller for the Canadian Distillers, LTD, and a multiple-time arrestee of the Louisville Police Department. Documentation for both is provided in the annals of distilling history where F.L. and A.J. provided documentation to the House Ways and Means Committees, and the Committee on Finance for the United States Senate, that provided the post-prohibition government with information on how to properly tax barrels of whiskey. Along with this information, we have multiple arrest records filed for F.L. in Louisville newspapers for illegal bookmaking and other crimes associated with Prohibition.
On December 5, 1933, the Volstead Act was repealed, ending Prohibition in the United States, and allowing F.L.’s safe return to his love of distilling. Starting in late 1933 and early 1934, F.L. became “Chief Distiller” for Bellemeade Distillery located in Bellmeade, Virgina. Until his death on March 1st, 1982, F.L. loved whiskey, the legacy of the Schreiner family, and distilling.
