Old Forester is one of bourbon's historic brands. It was one of the first to ever be sold by the bottle in order to ensure quality control to capitalise on the medicinal whiskey trade in the 19th century. It was even named after local Louisville physician, Dr. William Forrester (they dropped the second 'R' from the name when he retired).  During Prohibition, the company now known as Brown-Forman were able to legally produce alcohol for medicinal purposes. This allowed sales to stay steady during this period and helped the huge popularity boost after the act was repealed.