Kessler Whiskey

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Kessler Whiskey
Type	Blended Whiskey
Proof	80
Manufacturer	Julius Kessler Company
Country of origin	USA
Introduced	1888

Kessler Whiskey is an American blended whiskey brand started by Julius Kessler in 1888. It is best known for it's slogan, "Smooth as Silk".

Kessler Whiskey was founded by Julius Kessler in the late 1870s in Leadville, Colorado. Kessler himself was born in Budapest, Hungary, but it is not known exactly when. He came to America to make his fortune, and he succeeded. In the early days, to get his product out, Julius Kessler went from saloon to saloon selling the whiskey. Kessler retired from the business in 1921^[1] Kessler's company quickly became profitable, in part due to his ability to sell whiskey at higher prices in more remote areas than he would have been able to in cities like Denver. Due to the prominence of his whiskey, Julius Kessler became president of the Distiller's Securities Corporation, also known as the "Whiskey Trust." ^[2] Kessler spent his retirement in Vienna, Austria, but came back to America a number of times.

Around 1935, Kessler Whiskey was acquired by Joseph E. Seagram of Seagram's. ^[3] They planned to market the Kessler brand as one that was priced below their well-known Crown line, for example Crown Royal.