, 1866 : The Jack Daniels Distillery was established in 1866 as the first registered distillery in the United States. He learned the art of distilling from an enslaved man named Nathan "Nearest" Green. Jack Daniels would later hire Nearest as his Master Distiller.
Source: https://www.jackdaniels.com/en-us/our-story

, 1771 : Colonel Evan Shelby was the father of Kentucky's first governor. After moving from Maryland, he set up his distillery in Tennessee and operated an inn and tavern. Many famous frontiersmen, such as Daniel Boone and Colonel Henderson stopped in to his shop to pick up necessities for their long journeys.
Source: Crowgey, H. (2008) Kentucky Bourbon. They Early Years of Whiskey Making. University Press of Kentucky.