# Jim Beam warehouse burns. No injuries, lots of lost burbon. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 5, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109 "2003-08-05T13:49:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/1 "2003-08-05T13:49:51Z")
[http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/08/04/ky.distillery.fire.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/08/04/ky.distillery.fire.ap/index.html) I’m reminded of a story my grandmother told me. It seems that one of my great uncles back in Ireland had died in a distillery accident many years ago. Apparently he fell into a vat of Jameson’s Whiskey and drowned. She told me that several people tried to rescue him, but he put up a good fight. ---
**Author:** ![IDemandBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a88e57/32.png) [@IDemandBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IDemandBeer)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/2 "2003-08-05T14:04:33Z")
_bows his head in mourning_ Good thing I always wear black; otherwise, I’d have to go home and change. “Alas, poor Jim Beam! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.” –IDB ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/3 "2003-08-05T14:19:08Z")
Ahh Jim Beam. I owe many a forgotten night in college to you. Having a real job with real income, I’ve neglected you for the more tasty spirits. But you were a good friend when I was a poor college student. At least in the bits I remember you were a friend. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/4 "2003-08-05T15:17:38Z")
Bad news - 19,000 barrels went up in flames. Good news - The warehouse held 2% of their inventory. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/5 "2003-08-05T15:23:08Z")
Interestingly, the blaze was started by “white lightning”. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/6 "2003-08-05T15:31:41Z")
“It’s burst into flames…Get out of the way, please, oh my, this is terrible, oh my, get out of the way, please…Oh, the humanity!” ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/7 "2003-08-05T15:36:01Z")
I wonder just how hot a fire fueled by 19000 barrels of whiskey would get. ---
**Author:** ![WillSantini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed8c4c/32.png) [@WillSantini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillSantini)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/8 "2003-08-05T15:36:20Z")
Why do bad things happen to good liquor? ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/9 "2003-08-05T17:17:57Z")
D@mn your eyes, **Rico**! Scooped me, you did. ---
**Author:** ![SkyBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@SkyBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkyBum)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/10 "2003-08-05T18:06:06Z")
Judging by what that article says about the Wild Turkey fire of 2000 (17,200 barrels = nearly 1 million gallons burned), this fire (19,000 barrels) burned up more than 1,000,000 gallons of whiskey. Now, they said that this is less than 2% of their inventory meaning that they must have something like 98,000,000 gallons of Jim Beam left. My my. Thats a lotta Jim Beam. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/11 "2003-08-05T19:09:27Z")
That scary part is thats not even enough to get North and South America drunk. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/12 "2003-08-05T22:42:30Z")
The local paper reported that it was around 800,000 gallons. Still a large amount any way you look at it. Some of it ran into a creek but authorities managed to dam it up to prevent its spread. The bourbon warehouse fire a few years ago spilled into a river and ended causing a massive fishkill. It was amazing. ---
**Author:** ![yawndave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/43a26b/32.png) [@yawndave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawndave)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/13 "2003-08-06T01:41:11Z")
I was looking for some Maker’s Mark this afternoon, but a bottle of Jim Beam caught my eye, I had to get that instead. Figured it was the least I could do…cheers! ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/14 "2003-08-06T02:37:53Z")
Was the Bourbon warehouse fire of 2000 that you all are referring to near Lawrenceburg KY? (Sorry, due to computer problems I can’t click on the links right now to find out.) My Dad said that Lawrenceburg is in a dry county and the people living there were quite surprised when they woke up one fine morning and discovered that their tap water tasted like liquor. They were even more upset a few days later when it tasted like dead fish. ---
**Author:** ![Icebrand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecb155/32.png) [@Icebrand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icebrand)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/15 "2003-08-06T03:03:38Z")
The saddest part of this fire is that the bourbon will not seep into the drinking water. Looks like I’ll have to get freebies elsewhere. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/16 "2003-08-06T03:09:36Z")
Yep, KRC, that’s the one. Unfortunately, Lexington’s water usually tastes like dead fish. ---
**Author:** ![SkyBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@SkyBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkyBum)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/17 "2003-08-06T14:26:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KRC \* > \*\*Was the Bourbon warehouse fire of 2000 that you all are referring to near Lawrenceburg KY? (Sorry, due to computer problems I can’t click on the links right now to find out.) \*\* Yeah **KRC** , here is a quote from the link. > [@](#): > > Warehouse and distillery fires are typically devastating because of the flammable alcohol. In 2000, a fire at a Wild Turkey distillery in Lawrenceburg destroyed a seven-story warehouse that held nearly 1 million gallons of aging bourbon in 17,200 barrels. ---
**Author:** ![Stonebow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Stonebow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stonebow)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/18 "2003-08-06T14:54:47Z")
What a waste. And now, the obligatory line… “But…why is the rum gone?” ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Blunty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Captain\_Blunty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Blunty)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/19 "2003-08-06T15:11:22Z")
What’s that I hear? Lost bourbon? Lost _JIM BEAM?_ _NOOOOO! OH PLEASE NOOOO!_ Breathe Caps, breathe… in, out, in, out… And you’re all making jokes. Hang your heads in shame. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109/20 "2003-08-06T15:14:14Z")
They’ll not need to worry now about finding charcoal for the next batch. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jim-beam-warehouse-burns-no-injuries-lots-of-lost-burbon/193109.md?page=2)