In the heart of Iowa’s rolling plains, a 130-year-old family farm has found a new way to preserve its legacy—not in the fields, but in a bottle of smooth, handcrafted bourbon. For Tom Bindner, a farmer who dedicated 58 years to tending the land near Marcus, Iowa, the creation of Bindner Farms Bourbon Whiskey marks a deeply personal milestone. This isn’t just any bourbon—it’s a tribute to a lifetime of hard work, family bonds, and the final corn crop Tom harvested before health challenges forced him to step back from farming in 2022. Thanks to Century Farms Distillery in Spencer, Iowa, this unique bourbon carries the story of the Bindner family and their land, ensuring their legacy lives on for generations.
The journey to this one-of-a-kind bourbon began in 2021 at the Iowa State Fair, where Tom’s daughter, Diane Williams, and her brother Dean stumbled upon the Century Farms Distillery booth. The distillery, owned by Ryan and Amanda Bare, offered a program called Corn to Whiskey, allowing farmers to transform their own corn into custom-labeled bourbon or whiskey. For Diane and her brothers, Dean, Don, and Dennis, it was the perfect Christmas gift for their dad—a way to honor his decades of farming and celebrate the 130th anniversary of their family’s farm. They didn’t hesitate. Corn from the Bindner farm was delivered to the distillery, about an hour northeast of Marcus, and the process of crafting something truly special began.
Image credit: Century Farms
In July 2022, Diane, along with a friend, visited Century Farms Distillery to witness the first step of the journey. The family gathered to bottle and seal a batch of whiskey that had been quick-aged using wood chips, a method that imparts flavor faster than traditional barrel aging. The result was a smooth, corn-forward spirit under the distillery’s American Classic label, with some bottles already showcasing the Bindner Farms name. Meanwhile, four oak barrels filled with what would become their bourbon were left to age slowly in the distillery’s warehouse, soaking up the rich character that only time can provide.
Fast forward to 2025, and the Bindner family returned to Spencer for a moment they’d been eagerly awaiting. Diane’s husband, Tim, piloted their single-engine Cessna plane, soaring over Iowa’s patchwork of fields and windmills, to bring the family together at the distillery. Tom, Linda, Dean, and Don joined Ryan and Amanda Bare to bottle, seal, and label 110 bottles of their 39-month-aged bourbon. Each bottle was a work of pride, adorned with a label featuring a photo of the farm’s founder, James Archibald “Archie” Smith, alongside his trusty mules, and a QR code linking to the Bindner family’s story on the distillery’s website, cfdistillery.com. The labels weren’t just decoration—they were a testament to a legacy that began in 1882 when Archie and his wife, Mary, purchased 320 acres for $6,000, laying the foundation for what would become Bindner Farms.
What makes this bourbon even more meaningful is its connection to Tom’s final harvest. In 2022, after nearly six decades of planting and harvesting crops like corn, soybeans, oats, and even raising sheep, Tom faced health issues that made it impossible to continue farming alongside Dean. The corn used for this bourbon was the last he ever harvested, making each bottle a tangible piece of his life’s work. As Tom stood in the distillery, surrounded by his family and carefully bottling their bourbon, he smiled and said, “Today is a really good day.” It was a moment of joy, reflection, and pride in a legacy that had endured through the Great Depression, the farm crisis of the 1980s, and countless other challenges.
The Bindner Farms Bourbon Whiskey isn’t just for the family, though. Century Farms Distillery will bottle the remaining two and a half barrels—roughly a thousand bottles—and distribute them to liquor stores and retailers across Iowa. Each bottle sold to the public will carry the Bindner Farms name, the state and county where the corn was grown, and that QR code linking to the family’s story. It’s a way for anyone to connect with the land and the people behind the spirit, whether they’re sipping it neat or mixing it into a favorite cocktail. The distillery’s commitment to transparency and storytelling sets it apart, celebrating the farmers who grow the corn that becomes their award-winning bourbon and whiskey.
The Bindner family’s story is one of resilience. From Archie and Mary’s original purchase to the struggles of the 1980s farm crisis, when high interest rates and low prices tested their resolve, the farm has remained a constant. Over the years, Tom and Linda expanded the operation, purchasing additional land and modernizing with bigger, more efficient machinery. They raised their four children—Donald, Dennis, Diane, and Dean—on the farm, instilling a deep respect for the land and its history. Even after moving to a new home in town in 2019, Tom continued to farm with Dean, who now represents the fifth generation to work the land. The family’s commitment to preserving their century farm status, recognized by the state of Iowa, is evident in every decision, from hosting an ISU Weather Station to ensuring the farm stays in the family through legal battles and land purchases.
One barrel of Bindner Farms Bourbon remains at the distillery, aging quietly in the warehouse. The family plans to bottle it in 2042 to celebrate the farm’s 150th anniversary. Diane dreams of her great-grandchildren raising glasses of this bourbon at their weddings, toasting to a legacy that began with a simple land purchase and grew into something extraordinary. It’s a vision that captures the heart of what Century Farms Distillery does—turning corn into more than just a drink, but a way to honor the past and inspire the future.
Century Farms Distillery, founded by Ryan and Amanda Bare in 2017, has worked with over 100 farmers across the Midwest, each contributing their corn to create unique, single-barrel bourbons and whiskeys. The Corn to Whiskey program allows farmers to deliver 40 to 50 bushels of corn, which the distillery transforms into about 1,000 bottles of bourbon. Families receive 60 bottles with custom labels and a stenciled barrel to keep as a heirloom, while the rest are sold under the Century Farms brand. The distillery’s single-barrel bourbon, including batches from farms like McCaulley and Walker, has earned gold medals at the Major League Spirit Association’s 2023 competition, a testament to the quality of Iowa’s corn and the Bares’ craftsmanship.
For those who visit the distillery in Spencer, the experience goes beyond the bottle. The tasting room offers samples of their 92-proof bourbon, known for its smooth, slightly sweet corn flavor, as well as their corn whiskey, vodka, and unaged high-proof moonshine. A food truck, run by local TJ Johnson, serves up meals to complement the spirits, and tours provide a glimpse into the small-batch process that makes Century Farms unique. The distillery’s building, once home to an International Harvester dealership and later the Alibi Lounge, now stands as a hub for celebrating Iowa’s agricultural heritage.
For the Bindner family, this bourbon is more than a drink—it’s a connection to their land, their history, and each other. As Tom’s health forced him to step back, the bottles of Bindner Farms Bourbon Whiskey became a way to hold onto the memories of his final harvest. For anyone who cracks open a bottle, it’s a chance to taste the heart of Iowa, crafted from the corn of a family farm and the dedication of a man who poured his life into the land. Whether enjoyed at a family gathering, shared with friends, or saved for a special occasion, this bourbon is a reminder that some legacies are meant to be sipped slowly and savored for generations.
