Editing Kentucky Colonel (section)

== Kentucky colonel influence on culture ==
Starting around 1889, culture began incorporating the idea of the Kentucky Colonel as the name or part of the name of bars, beer, [[Bourbon whiskey|bourbon]], barbecue, [[burgoo]], clubs, hotels, food, liquor stores, plants, restaurants, social venues, sports teams, tobacco products and even a political lobby. The Kentucky Colonel has always been most notorious for drinking bourbon, making moonshine liquor, storytelling and dueling over their honor<ref>{{Cite news|last=Humanities|first=National Endowment for the|date=September 9, 1886|title=The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, September 09, 1886, Image 6|journal=The Salt Lake Herald|pages=6|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85058130/1886-09-09/ed-1/seq-6/|access-date=March 10, 2021|issn=1941-3033}}</ref> starting in the 19th century. Likewise the Kentucky colonel has been portrayed in a number of films, cartoons, movies, books and featured in newspapers since as early as the 1850s.<ref name="DJW">{{Cite web |last=Wright |first=David |date=February 25, 2021 |title=American Newspapers |url=https://www.kycolonelcy.us/kentucky-colonel-in-newspapers |access-date=November 30, 2022 |website=Kentucky Colonelcy |publisher=Office of the Colonelcy}}</ref>

Those who have received a Kentucky colonelcy commission have often used the title, idea or the image of the concept of the idealistic Kentucky Colonel to promote art, business, events, music, places and recreational activities while simultaneously promoting the state's customs and traditions, resulting in the honor becoming a well-recognized trademark of Kentucky's culture. As it was explained by the defense in the U.S. District Court in 2020, "the idea and image of the Kentucky Colonel and Kentucky colonels is inextricably intertwined with the state".<ref name="HOKCvKCI" />

Examples of the concept of the Kentucky Colonel being used to promote a product or idea include:
*Colonel G.W. Gist built the first modern hotel in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]], called the Kentucky Colonel Hotel, in 1903.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lewis|first=Lori|title=Looking Back: Kentucky Colonel Hotel, Broken Arrow|url=https://tulsaworld.com/looking-back-kentucky-colonel-hotel-broken-arrow/article_f764f7dd-445e-5a53-be1c-fefb875d1fa0.html|access-date=March 10, 2021|website=Tulsa World|date=October 22, 2016 |publisher=The Ledger|language=en}}</ref>
*[[Matt Winn|Col. Matt Winn]] was present at the first race at [[Churchill Downs]] in 1875 and helped to turn it into the [[Kentucky Derby]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Johnson|first=J. Keeler|title=Col. Matt Winn: The Man Who Saved the Kentucky Derby|url=https://www.americasbestracing.net/the-sport/2020-col-matt-winn-the-man-who-saved-the-kentucky-derby|access-date=March 10, 2021|website=America's Best Racing|publisher=TJC Media}}</ref>
*The 1960s [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]] band [[Kentucky Colonels (band)|Kentucky Colonels]] included [[Clarence White]] (later with [[The Byrds]]).
*A wide range of memorabilia has been created for sale or recognition including by the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels.
*A number of sports teams in Kentucky, have been known as the Kentucky Colonels including the [[Kentucky Colonels]] professional basketball team of 1967–1976, the [[Kentucky Colonels (ABA 2000)|Kentucky Colonels]] professional basketball team of 2004, and the [[Eastern Kentucky Colonels]] athletic teams of [[Eastern Kentucky University]]. The athletic teams from [[Centre College]] in [[Danville, Kentucky|Danville]] are also known as the Colonels.
*[[Colonel Sanders|Harland David Sanders]] (1890 – 1980) used his title of "Colonel" and his own personal determination to make himself and Kentucky world-famous for fried chicken. From a gas station in [[Corbin, Kentucky]], Colonel Sanders (as he became known) started the fast food franchise [[KFC|Kentucky Fried Chicken]], known today as KFC. He became so well known, both nationally and internationally, that he was often referred to simply as "The Colonel", which is also the title of a book that was written about his life.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pearce |first=John Ed |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/8171986 |title=The Colonel : the captivating biography of the dynamic founder of a fast-food empire |date=1982 |publisher=Doubleday |isbn=0-385-18122-1 |location=Garden City, N.Y. |oclc=8171986}}</ref>

=== Bourbon whiskey ===
The Kentucky colonel title in business marketing is seen in the ongoing historic association between Kentucky and [[bourbon whiskey]] production. As of 2013, approximately 95 percent of all bourbon was produced in Kentucky, and the state had 4.9 million barrels of bourbon in the process of aging.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/17/makers-mark-restore-proof/1926081/ Maker's Mark to restore alcohol content of whiskey], ''[[USA Today]]'', February 17, 2013.</ref><ref>Schreiner, Bruce, "[http://www.brandonsun.com/business/breaking-news/kentucky-bourbon-trail-expands-to-include-stop-in-downtown-louisville-206820581.html?thx=y Kentucky Bourbon Trail Expands to Include Stop in Downtown Louisville] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130628200445/http://www.brandonsun.com/business/breaking-news/kentucky-bourbon-trail-expands-to-include-stop-in-downtown-louisville-206820581.html?thx=y |date=2013-06-28 }}", ''[[Associated Press]]'', May 9, 2013.</ref> The historic distiller James B. Beam is referred to as "Colonel James B. Beam" for the marketing of the [[Jim Beam]] brand (the largest-selling brand of bourbon).<ref>[http://www.beveragenet.net/cheers/1998/0998/998burbn.asp Beveragenet Reference] URL last accessed April 11, 2008. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060501085333/http://www.beveragenet.net/cheers/1998/0998/998burbn.asp |date=May 1, 2006 }}</ref> The [[Sazerac Company]] similarly refers to the distiller Albert Blanton as "Colonel Blanton" for their marketing of the [[Blanton's]] brand. In both cases, the "Colonel" title refers to being a Kentucky colonel. A brand of Kentucky bourbon called Kentucky Colonel was produced in the 1980s,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeswhiskyclub.com/whiskies/kentucky-colonel-distillery-co/kentucky-colonel-4-year-old-1980s-whiskey/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002160454/http://www.timeswhiskyclub.com/whiskies/kentucky-colonel-distillery-co/kentucky-colonel-4-year-old-1980s-whiskey/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 2, 2013|title=Kentucky Colonel 4 Year Old - 1980s|access-date=October 21, 2017}}</ref> and at least two current brands of Kentucky bourbon have the word "Colonel" in their name, the [[E. H. Taylor|Colonel E. H. Taylor]] and [[Barton Brands|Colonel Lee]] bourbon brands. In 2020 the Neeley Family Distillery (a craft bourbon distiller) in [[Sparta, Kentucky]] filed for the trademark "Old Kentucky Colonel" to bring back the original Kentucky Colonel brand.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Neely|title=Old Kentucky Colonel (Trademark)|url=https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=90333342&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch|access-date=March 10, 2021|website=Trademark Status|publisher=United States Patent and Trademark Office}}</ref>