It is an exciting time of growth in the bourbon industry, and with growth comes movement of personnel and brands. The bourbon business is a people business that has had many colorful personalities and creative geniuses that have molded the spirit as we know it. The first half of 2019 had several announcements involving Master Distillers and a recent acquisition of a popular brand.
In January, Heaven Hill announced hiring Conor O’Driscoll as their newest Master Distiller. He brings a background of 15 years in the industry that includes working in other roles at Brown-Forman Shively Distillery, Woodford Reserve, and Angel’s Envy. He becomes only the 5th Master Distiller in Heaven Hill’s 85 year history.
In April, Dan McKee was promoted to Master Distiller at Michter’s upon Pam Hellmann stepping away from that role. This move was to be expected at some point as Dan had worked closely with Pam as they helped grow the offerings by Michter’s, after having moved from Jim Beam’s Booker Noe Distillery. With 13 years of experience, and being promoted within, move should be a reminder that Michter’s is a stable operation and poised to continue offering exciting options.
In May, Marrianne Eaves announced she was leaving Castle & Key as their Master Distiller. This news was a bit shocking to the public because she has been vital in the renovation of this distillery as well as their brand offerings since 2015. This comes at a time that Castle & Key has yet to officially sell a whiskey, as it is still aging those products. Marianne has been a rising star in the industry, therefore hopefully we see her in a similar role at a different distillery in the future.
On June 14th, Pernod Ricard, whose brand portfolio includes Absolute Vodka, Chivas Regal, The Glenlivet, Jameson Irish Whiskey announced it has dipped its toes back into the ocean of bourbon by acquiring a majority share in Rabbit Hole Whiskey. Kaveh Zamanian will continue to control daily operations, as well as maintain most of his shares in his company. Pernod Ricard seems to be capitalizing on the boom of American Whiskey, as also having recently required Smooth Ambler. Pernod Ricard sold Wild Turkey to Gruppo Compari ten years ago, therefore this is a major move to share in the current bourbon boom.
The first half of 2019 certainly has seen some major changes with some of the distilleries that will surely continue as the business continues to grow and reap the benefits of the demand for bourbon.
Cheers, Y’all!
It is an exciting time of growth in the bourbon industry, and with growth comes movement of personnel and brands. The bourbon business is a people business that has had many colorful personalities and creative geniuses that have molded the spirit as we know it. The first half of 2019 had several announcements involving Master Distillers and a recent acquisition of a popular brand.
In January, Heaven Hill announced hiring Conor O’Driscoll as their newest Master Distiller. He brings a background of 15 years in the industry that includes working in other roles at Brown-Forman Shively Distillery, Woodford Reserve, and Angel’s Envy. He becomes only the 5th Master Distiller in Heaven Hill’s 85 year history.
In April, Dan McKee was promoted to Master Distiller at Michter’s upon Pam Hellmann stepping away from that role. This move was to be expected at some point as Dan had worked closely with Pam as they helped grow the offerings by Michter’s, after having moved from Jim Beam’s Booker Noe Distillery. With 13 years of experience, and being promoted within, move should be a reminder that Michter’s is a stable operation and poised to continue offering exciting options.
In May, Marrianne Eaves announced she was leaving Castle & Key as their Master Distiller. This news was a bit shocking to the public because she has been vital in the renovation of this distillery as well as their brand offerings since 2015. This comes at a time that Castle & Key has yet to officially sell a whiskey, as it is still aging those products. Marianne has been a rising star in the industry, therefore hopefully we see her in a similar role at a different distillery in the future.
On June 14th, Pernod Ricard, whose brand portfolio includes Absolute Vodka, Chivas Regal, The Glenlivet, Jameson Irish Whiskey announced it has dipped its toes back into the ocean of bourbon by acquiring a majority share in Rabbit Hole Whiskey. Kaveh Zamanian will continue to control daily operations, as well as maintain most of his shares in his company. Pernod Ricard seems to be capitalizing on the boom of American Whiskey, as also having recently required Smooth Ambler. Pernod Ricard sold Wild Turkey to Gruppo Compari ten years ago, therefore this is a major move to share in the current bourbon boom.
The first half of 2019 certainly has seen some major changes with some of the distilleries that will surely continue as the business continues to grow and reap the benefits of the demand for bourbon.
Cheers, Y’all!