There are several excellent books detailing the evolution of the liquor biz from its cottage-industry origins through prohibition.

The Social History of Bourbon.  An Unhurried Account of Our Star-Spangled American Drink, by Gerald Carson, 1963.  Reprinted in 1984 by University Press, Kentucky.  ISBN# 0-8131-1509-4.  Availability: Out of Print, but readily available from used book sellers

A great read!  

Whiskey.  An American Pictorial History, by Oscar Getz, 1978.  David McKay Co., New York, NY.

Bluegrass, Belles and Bourbon.  A Pictorial History of Whiskey in Kentucky by H. H. Kroll, 1969, Barnes & Co., Inc. , Cranbury NJ

NOTE that you can find many more books on the history of whiskey and bourbon production in the "Researching a Glass"  section of this website.