A History of Print Ads from Wild Turkey Bourbon

There's no doubt about it, we all owe a great debt to one Reverend Elijah Craig and his invention of one of the most delicious and intoxicating (no pun intended) drinks known to man—bourbon whiskey, a sweet mix of corn, rye and barley malt. But we also owe respect to T'sai Lun and Johannes Gutenberg, because without them there would be no means to print the signature Wild Turkey Bourbon ads seen below.

Just looking at them makes you want to grab the bottle and head for those Kentucky woods with your shotgun-toting friends for some good old-fashioned turkey hunting. Thankfully, many of you can resist the urge to hunt with whiskey on your breath. Instead, fans of Wild Turkey satisfy their craving for liquored up hunting by collecting magazine and newspaper ads from past and present, showcasing that outdoorsy flavor and that signature, mouth-watering bourbon redness.

Below are some finds from around the web, from sites like eBay and Amazon where the prints are plentiful. See how the Dirty Bird progressed in time.

          Magazine advert from 1959. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1964. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1967. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1970. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1976. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1977. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1978. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1979. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1980. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1981. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1981. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1983. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1983. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1983. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1984. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1984. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1985. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1986. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1990. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1996. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1999. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1999. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1999. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 1999. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 2000. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 2001. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 2001. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 2001. [credit]

          Magazine advert from 2006. [credit]

          Calendar from 2010. [credit]

          Calendar from 2010. [credit]

          Print advert from 2011.