Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame

Bourbon Barons & Living Legends

Established in 2001 by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA), the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® was created to recognize the sacrifice, passion and determination of those who have made Kentucky Bourbon what it is today. It is our industry’s highest honor.

2024 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Elmer Lucille Allen

Retired Chemist, Brown-Forman

Inductee, Industry Distinction

Dee Ford

Brand Home General Manager, Angel’s Envy Distillery / Louisville Distilling Co.

Inductee, Industry Distinction

Ken Lewis

Retired Owner & Former CEO, New Riff Distilling

Inductee &
Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award

Peter T. Loftin

Former Founder & Chairman, Bardstown Bourbon Company

Inductee, Industry Distinction

R.M. Corky Taylor

4th Generation Owner, Chairman & CEO, Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.

Inductee, Industry Distinction

2024 Hall of Fame Event Photo Gallery – COMING SOON!

2023 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Jerry O. Dalton

Retired Master Distiller, Jim Beam

Inductee

Pete Kamer

Owner, Distillery Engineering

Inductee

Joseph J. Magliocco

President and CEO, Michter’s Distillery

Inductee

Trey Zoeller

Founder, Whiskey Maker and Chief Strategist, Jefferson’s Bourbon

Inductee

Chester ‘Chet’ Zoeller

Author, Historian and Co-founder, Jefferson’s Bourbon

Inductee

Dixie Sherman Demuth

Owner, Dixie’s Elbow Room

Inductee

Greg Fischer

Former, three-term, Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky

Inductee

Dean Watts

Former Nelson County Judge-Executive

Inductee

2023 Hall of Fame Event Photo Gallery

2022 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

D. Chad McCoy

Retiring Representative, R-Bardstown, Majority Whip, Kentucky House of Representatives

Inductee

Stephen Francis Thompson

Founder and President, Kentucky Artisan Distillery

Inductee &
Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award

Julian P. Van Winkle, III

President, Pappy Van Winkle

Inductee

Andrea Marie Wilson

Chief Operating Officer and Master of Maturation at Michter’s Distillery, the first woman to chair the KDA Board of Directors.

Inductee

John Yarmuth

Retiring U.S. Representative, D-Louisville, Co-Founder of the Congressional Bourbon Caucus

Inductee

Kaveh Zamanian

Founder, Whiskey Maker and CEO, Rabbit Hole Distillery

Inductee

2022 Hall of Fame Event Photo Gallery

2019 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Katrina Egbert

Visitor Center Marketing Coordinator, Wild Turkey Distillery

Inductee

Wes Henderson

Co-Founder/Chief Innovation Officer, Louisville Distilling Co.

Inductee

Larry Kass

Director of Trade Relations (Ret.), Heaven Hill Distillery

Inductee

Even Kulsveen

Executive Director, Willett Distillery

Inductee &
Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award

Charles W. Medley

Master Distiller, Medley Distilling Co./Charles Medley Distillery

Inductee

Peggy Noe Stevens

Founder & President, Peggy Noe Stevens & Associates

Inductee

2019 Hall of Fame Event Photo Gallery

2018 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Freddie Johnson

Distillery VIP Visitor Lead,
Buffalo Trace Distillery

Inductee

Dr. Pearse Lyons

Founder & President,
Alltech, Inc.

Inductee

Max L. Shapira

President, Heaven Hill Brands

Inductee &
Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award

Matthew J. Shattock

Chairman & CEO, Beam Suntory

Inductee

2018 Hall of Fame Event Photo Gallery

2017 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Chris Morris

Master Distiller, Brown-Forman Corporation

Inductee

T. William (Bill) Samuels, Jr.

Chairman Emeritus, Maker’s Mark Distillery

Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award

Harry J. Shapira

Heaven Hill Brands, Inc.

Inductee

Jerry Summers

Beam Suntory

Inductee

2017 Hall of Fame Event Photo Gallery

2016 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Barry Becton

Senior Director of State Government Affairs, Diageo North America

Inductee

Joy Perrine

Author and veteran award-winning bartender at Equus Restaurant and Jack’s Lounge in Louisville

Inductee

John Rhea

Former Chief Operating Officer, Four Roses Distillery

Inductee

Jimmy Russell

Master Distiller, Wild Turkey Distillery

Inductee &
Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award

William M. Street

Former President, Brown-Forman Corp.

Inductee

2016 Hall of Fame Event Photo Gallery

2015 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Parker Beam

Master Distiller, Heaven Hill Distillery

Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award

Owsley Brown II

Brown-Forman

Inductee

Kathleen Dibenedetto

Jim Beam Brands Co.

Inductee

U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford

State Senator, Lt. Governor, Governor, and U.S. Senator

Inductee

Donna Nally

Maker’s Mark Distillery

Inductee

2015 Hall of Fame Event Photo Gallery

2014 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Margie Samuels

Maker’s Mark Distillery

Inductee

2014 Hall of Fame Event Photo Gallery

2013 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Tom Blincoe

Buzick Construction

Inductee

Frederick Booker Noe III

Master Distiller and “Keeper of the Flame,” Jim Beam Brands Company

Inductee

2012 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Isaac Wolfe Bernheim

Bernheim Distillery

Inductee

2011 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

David Hobbs

Plant Manager, Heaven Hill Distilleries,

Inductee

Al Young

Bourbon Ambassador, Four Roses Distilery

Inductee

2010 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Charlie Beam

Master Distiller, Four Roses Distillery

Inductee
(pictured: Mary Lee Kuhn Beam, Charlie’s spouse)

Ronnie Eddins

Buffalo Trace Distillery

Inductee

Eddie Russell

Warehouse Operations Manager & Associate Distiller, Wild Turkey Distillery

Inductee

2010 Hall of Fame Event Photo Gallery

2009 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

David M. Beam

Jim Beam Distillery

Inductee

John Henry “Jack” Beam

Jim Beam Distillery

Inductee

Tom Bulleit

Founder, Bulleit Bourbon

Inductee

Charles K. Cowdery

Author

Inductee

Frank M. Daily

President, Kentucky Distillers’ Association

Inductee

Mary Jane Dickerson

Administrative Assistant, Kentucky Bourbon Festival

Inductee

Edward S. Monohan III

President, Schenley Distillers, Inc.

Inductee

President William Howard Taft

President of the United States of America

Inductee

2009 Hall of Fame Event Photo Gallery

2008 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Brad Boswell

President, Independent Stave Company

Inductee

Owsley Brown

President, Brown-Forman Corporation

Inductee

Thomas J. Flocco

President & CEO, Beam Global Spirits & Wine

Inductee

Edwin S. Foote

Master Distiller, Old Fitzgerald Distillery

Inductee

Rita Lynn Greenwell

Administrative Assistant, Kentucky Distillers’ Association

Inductee

Jimmy Wickham

Director of Customer Relations & Quality Assurance, Independent Stave Company

Inductee

Evan Williams

Widely Known as “Kentucky’s First Distiller”

Inductee

2007 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Edward Baker Beam

Distiller, Jim Beam Distillery

Inductee

Gary R. Gayheart

Master Distiller, Buffalo Trace Distillery

Inductee

Thomas S. Moore

Founder, Tom Moore Distillery

Inductee

Jim Murray

Writer

Inductee

Steve Nally

Master Distiller, Maker’s Mark Distillery

Inductee

Rep. Kenny Rapier

State Representative and House Majority Whip

Inductee

2006 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Carl Beam

Master Distiller & Vice President, James B. Beam Distillery

Inductee

William F. Friel

Master Distiller & Manager, Barton Brands

Inductee

Michael Veach

Historian

Inductee

2005 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

T. Jeremiah Beam

James B. Beam Distilling Co.

Inductee

Col. Albert Bacon Blanton

President, George T. Stagg Distillery

Inductee

Dale DeGroff

Bartender & Cocktail Book Author

Inductee

Pamela Wood Gover

Executive Director, Kentucky Bourbon Festival

Inductee

John Hansell

Creator of Malt Advocate & WhiskyFest

Inductee

Damian Riley-Smith

Creator of Whiskey Magazine

Inductee

Elmore Sherman Family

Founders of Vendome Copper & Brass Works

Inductee

2004 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Charles R. Despain

Plant Manager, Heaven Hill Distillery

Inductee

Albert G. Geiser

Master Distiller, George T. Stagg Distillery

Inductee

Dixie P. Hibbs

Historian & Author

Inductee

Thomas R. McCarthy

Founder, JTS Brown Distillery, Wild Turkey Distillery

Inductee

H. Edward O’Daniel, Jr.

President, Kentucky Distillers’ Association

Inductee

Gary Regan

Bartender & Writer

Inductee

Rep. Gene Snyder

U.S. Representative

Inductee

2003 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Earl Beam

Master Distiller, Heavenhill Springs Distillery

Inductee

John Boswell

CEO, Independent Stave Company

Inductee

Sam K. Cecil

Vice President of Production, Maker’s Mark Distillery

Inductee

Paul Jones, Jr.

Founder, Four Roses Bourbon

Inductee

F. Paul Pacult

Managing editor of the Spirits Journal, author of “Kindred Spirits: The Spirits Journal Guide to the World Distilled Spirits”

Inductee

Ernest W. Ripy Jr.

Master Distiller, Ripy Brothers Distillery

Inductee

C. Orville Schupp

President, Schenley Distillers, Inc.

Inductee

2002 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Colonel James B. Beam

Founder, Jim Beam Distillery

Inductee

George Garvin Brown

President, Brown-Forman Company

Inductee

Oscar Getz

Founder, Barton Distillery and inspiration for the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History

Inductee

Ova O. Haney

Master Distiller, Four Roses Distillery

Inductee

Sylvester Ribaudo

President and CEO, Austin Nichols & Co.

Inductee

T. William Samuels, Sr.

Founder, Maker’s Mark Distillery

Inductee

Gary, George, David, Ed and Mose Shapira

Founders, Heaven Hill Distilleries

Inductees

George T. Stagg

Co-founder, modern day Buffalo Trace Distillery

Inductee

Col. Frank B. Thompson

Chairman, Glenmore Distilleries

Inductee

Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle

Founder, Stitzel-Weller Distillery

Inductee

2001 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® Inductees

Parker Beam

Master Distiller, Heaven Hill Distilleries

Inductee

Lincoln Wesley Henderson

Director of Whiskey Development and Maturation/Master Distiller, Brown-Forman Beverages Worldwide

Inductee

Elmer T. Lee

Vice President/Operations, Buffalo Trace Ambassador

Inductee

Fred McMillen

Vice President/Production Services, Barton Brands Ltd.

Inductee

Frederick Booker Noe, Jr.

Master Distiller Emeritus, Jim Beam Brands

Inductee

Jimmy Russell

Master Distiller, Wild Turkey

Inductee

Jim Rutledge

Master Distiller/Kentucky Area Manager, Four Roses Distilling Co.

Inductee

Bill Samuels

CEO and President, Maker’s Mark

Inductee