‘Visionaries, Artisans, Innovators and Disruptors’: Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame Inducts 8 New Members
(Image: Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame)
The Kentucky Distiller’s Association on Monday announced the induction of eight new members to the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. The list includes distillery founders, government leaders, activists and the first father and son to simultaneously be honored by the Bourbon Hall of Fame.
The Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame was founded by the Kentucky Distiller’s Association in 2001. The organization holds centuries of history and dates back to 1880. Inductions to the Bourbon Hall of Fame are one of the highest honors in the bourbon trade.
“We are excited to announce this year’s esteemed group of visionaries, artisans, innovators and disruptors that have made transformative contributions to Kentucky Bourbon and our beloved Commonwealth,” president of the Kentucky Distiller’s Association, Eric Gregory, said in the release.
The following eight individuals have achieved recognition this year for their contributions to the bourbon world.
2023 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame Inductees
Jerry O. Dalton, retired master distiller, Jim Beam
Dr. Jerry O. Dalton holds 22 years of experience working in the bourbon industry. He worked as a chemist for Barton Brands and eventually moved to Jim Beam. Dalton worked his way up at Jim Beam for 12 years and ultimately became a master distiller, succeeding Booker Noe. Dalton was the first Beam master distiller who didn’t hail from the Beam family, and he helped the Jim Beam brand achieve success as one of the most recognizable bourbon brands.
In addition to his work as a master distiller, Dalton experimented with developing whiskeys from alternative grains, whiskey glassware and cooperage techniques.
The Late Dixie Sherman Demuth, owner, Dixie’s Elbow Room
Dixie Sherman Demuth was an activist and owner of the very successful “Dixie’s Elbow Room,” a bar in downtown Louisville. In Demuth’s day, women were not allowed to be served alcohol at public bars. In protest, Demuth hired exclusively female servers and allowed female customers to sit at her bar and enjoy cocktails. After being shut down and fined numerous times by Kentucky’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, she took her fight for women’s rights to the Kentucky Supreme Court and overturned a 200-year-old law that banned women from enjoying alcohol in public.
Thanks to Dixie’s activism, women all over Kentucky can enjoy drinks and work as servers in bars.
Greg Fischer, former mayor Of Louisville, Kentucky
Greg Fischer is a former mayor of Louisville who was hailed for coining the term “bourbonism,” which was associated with promoting Louisville’s hospitality scene in regard to gastronomic tourism. He was cited as “a businessman who just happens to be mayor” and was an entrepreneur prior to his tenure in politics.
Fischer spent most of his term focusing on Louisville’s economic renaissance and ended up adding 80,000 jobs and 3,000 new businesses, creating a robust economy. He invested over $100 million in affordable housing, and thanks to his contributions, 20,000 members of the population were able to work themselves out of poverty.
Pete Kamer, owner, Distillery Engineering
Pete Kamer holds 45 years of experience working with Seagram’s and Barton Distillery. After retiring, he launched his own consulting business with the aim of helping Kentucky craft distilleries. His company, Distillery Engineering, has helped distilleries of varying sizes with everything from site selection to equipment selection to startup and troubleshooting.
His roster of clients includes James Pepper, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Jim Beam and distilleries working under Diageo, Barton and LuxRow.
Joseph J. Magliocco, president and CEO, Michter’s Distillery
Joseph Magliocco, president and CEO of Michter’s Distillery hosts a 40-year career and is known for having resurrected the cult brand Michter’s. Magliocco’s contributions have been cited as leading the Whiskey Row revival in downtown Louisville. He is the vice chairman and one of the 15 founding members of the Order of the Writ, a “fraternal and charitable organization that embraces the spirit of Kentucky Bourbon education, responsibility, environmental stewardship, history, scholarship and unwavering commitment to the furtherance of America’s only native spirit.”
In addition to being the president of Michter’s Distillery, Magliocco also is the president of its parent company, the wine and spirits importer and supplier Chatham Imports. Magliocco was mentored by Dick Newman, the former president of Austin Nichols, which produces Wild Turkey.
Dean Watts, former Nelson County judge-executive
Dean Watts was one of the longest-serving judge-executives in Nelson County history. He is cited by the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame for his economic contributions and for welcoming several new distilleries during his 28 years in office.
The property of Nelson County nearly doubled during Watts’ time in office, growing from 29,000 to more than 46,000. Watts is credited with increasing the property tax base from $619 million to $3.4 billion.
Chester ‘Chet’ Zoeller, author, historian and co-founder, Jefferson’s Bourbon
Kentucky-born and -bred, Chester “Chet” Zoeller spent years researching distilleries in the bluegrass state and wrote “Bourbon In Kentucky.” The book is cited as a resource for many bourbon aficionados, and Zoeller is considered an expert on the history of the region.
After he discovered a familial connection to the whiskey business, Zoeller founded a small-batch bourbon company called “Jefferson’s Reserve.” Though Zoeller no longer works at the company, his son has taken the reins and continued the legacy.
Trey Zoeller, founder, whiskey maker and chief strategist, Jefferson’s Bourbon
Trey Zoeller founded Jefferson’s Bourbon with his father in 1997. Since then, the company has won dozens of awards for its bourbon and rye expressions. Trey has created over 30 different bourbon and rye whiskeys for Jefferson’s Bourbon and has pioneered different blending and maturation techniques, one of which is the brand’s signature method of aging bourbon at sea with the Jefferson’s Ocean line.
An advocate for transparency within the bourbon industry, Trey Zoeller is a passionate advocate for labeling that provides customers with accurate information about the age and origin of the bourbon they choose to purchase.
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