In about 1856, Jack’s brother David. M. Beam began a distillery in Nelson County, but Jack continued to operate his distillery, making only about 1/2 barrel of juice a day. Jack married Maria McNall in 1863. Eventually, his son, Edward, was old enough to join him at the distillery, and the enterprise was successful for many years. The name of Jack and Edward’s distillery, and the name of the whiskey they made there, was Early Times.

In 1866, he moved the operation to a place in Nelson County on the railroad, thereafter known as Early Times station. The brands which were made there during the distillery’s life were Early Times, Jack Beam, and A. G. Nall. Some time later, the wholesale firm of Pierce, Hurt & Co. was contracted to distribute the goods, which gained wide popularity. In the panic of 1880, Jack Beam lost financial control of his distillery, and Pierce, Hurt & Co. gained control. B. H. Hurt became President, while Jack Beam was retained as VP and distiller. Jack remained Early Times’ distiller until his death at 75 years old in 1915. Ironically, Edward was supposed to follow in his father's footsteps, but he also met his untimely death the same year as his father, at age 42.

Jack’s and Edward’s deaths allowed his nephew, John W. Shaunty, to become President. Shortly thereafter, the main office was moved to Paducah, Shaunty's home and the home base of Pierce, Hurt & Co.

Operations at Early Times ceased in 1918 and 1920. S. J. Guthrie purchased the property and company. At this point, Early Times whiskey and brand names were sold to Brown-Forman for medicinal bottling. In 1934, most of the old distillery’s buildings had been razed, and the J.T.S. Brown family purchased the property and built a new distillery known as J. T. S. Brown's Sons Co. to produce Old J.T.S. Brown. This distillery is what is claimed as the smallest distillery in Kentucky. About 1956, the Browns sold out, and the distillery was dismantled after selling the brand name to Schenley.

Jack Beam was inducted posthumously into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2009 in only its eighth class of inductees. He has subsequently become the 9th of 13 Beam family members to be inducted into the Bourbon Hall of Fame behind Parker Beam, Booker Noe, Colonel Jim Beam, Earl Beam, T. Jeremiah Beam, Carl Beam, Baker Beam, and David M. Beam.

Early Times continues to be a leading seller of whiskey throughout the world.