How Louisville's Bourbon Culture Shaped 'The Great Gatsby'

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Uncle Boojie’s Distilling Co. is shedding light on a little-known chapter of Kentucky history with new research exploring how Louisville’s bourbon culture and elite social circles influenced F. Scott Fitzgerald during his formative years in Kentucky. Drawing on archival records, family history, newspaper accounts, and Fitzgerald’s own writing, the project examines connections between the city’s whiskey industry and the themes of ambition, reinvention, and the American Dream that would later define “The Great Gatsby.”

What The Research Says

Researcher and writer Cassie Tatum found that Fitzgerald’s ties to Louisville extended far beyond his time at Camp Taylor and the city’s well-known place in Gatsby lore. Her work explores how Louisville’s blend of old-money society, self-made entrepreneurs, and thriving bourbon culture shaped the young author’s understanding of class, aspiration, and identity during his visits to Kentucky between 1914 and 1918.

Among the figures central to the research is Martin “Mr. Jesse” Spalding, a Howardstown bootlegger whose life and connections placed him within the same broader Louisville and Nelson County whiskey networks Fitzgerald encountered. Tatum’s research examines Spalding alongside the wealthy, ambitious, and often rule-breaking figures who populated Louisville’s social world, offering a new lens on the influences behind Fitzgerald’s fascination with status and moral ambiguity.

Quotes From Uncle Boojies

“When we began researching our family’s bourbon history, we expected to uncover forgotten Kentucky whiskey stories,” said Stephen A. Smith, founder of Uncle Boojie’s Distilling Co. “What we found was evidence that Louisville’s influence on Fitzgerald — and on the ideas that would later shape ‘The Great Gatsby’ — ran deeper than many people realize. Cassie’s research gives us a much richer understanding of the world Fitzgerald experienced here and the people who helped shape it.”

Tatum’s research challenges the long-held assumption that Fitzgerald’s relationship with Louisville was limited to his brief military service, instead tracing his repeated connections to Kentucky between 1914 and 1918. Her work follows the networks connecting Louisville and Nelson County, where families such as the Howards and Athertons played influential roles in distilling, distribution, and the social circles that fascinated Fitzgerald throughout his career.

“Most people know that Louisville appears in Fitzgerald’s story, but what interested me was understanding how deeply embedded he was in the city’s social and economic world,” Tatum said. “When you begin looking at the people he knew, the places he frequented and the bourbon networks surrounding them, Louisville becomes much more than a stop along the way. It becomes part of the environment that shaped how he understood ambition, identity and the American Dream.”

The History

That history extends directly to Uncle Boojie’s Distilling Co. Smith’s Howard family roots trace back to Kentucky whiskey-making traditions that form part of the story Tatum is researching. To preserve that legacy, Uncle Boojie’s is partnering with Whiskey House of Kentucky to recreate the historic Howard family mashbill using original family records.

“The Howard family story is an important part of Kentucky’s bourbon heritage that deserves greater recognition,” said David Mandell, CEO and co-founder of Whiskey House of Kentucky. “We’re proud to work with Uncle Boojie’s to recreate this historic recipe and help bring a piece of Kentucky whiskey history back to life.”

Uncle Boojie’s Distilling Co. and Whiskey House of Kentucky will host an invitation-only discussion of Tatum’s research during the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in September, paired with a curated tasting experience inspired by the project’s themes.

About Uncle Boojie’s Distilling Co.

Located in Louisville’s historic Paristown neighborhood, Uncle Boojie’s Distilling Co. is one of the newest destinations on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Experience. Founded by Stephen A. Smith and named for his great-uncle, the distillery is built around a 200-year-old Howard family bourbon recipe, offering experiences rooted in Kentucky history, craftsmanship, and hospitality.

About Whiskey House of Kentucky

Whiskey House of Kentucky is a distillery designed to provide high-quality, customized American whiskey production for leading spirits brands, incorporating advanced manufacturing practices and technology. Whiskey House has no brands of its own and a campus closed to the public. For more information, visit WhiskeyHouse.com or follow on LinkedIn.