Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame adds members
Six new members will be inducted in the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in September, including two distillery founders.
This year’s inductees include Chad McCoy, majority whip at the Kentucky House of Representatives, and two-time winner of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) 100 Proof award for public service.
Other members are: the late Stephen Francis Thompson, founder and president of the Kentucky Artisan Distillery; Julian P Van Winkle III, president of the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery and grandson of Julian ‘Pappy’ Van Winkle; Andrea Marie Wilson, executive vice president, general manager and master of maturation at Michter’s Distillery; John Yarmouth, co-founder of the Congressional Bourbon Caucus; and Kaveh Zamanian, founder, whiskey maker and CEO of Rabbit Hole Distillery.
Thompson will also be awarded the Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award. He unexpectedly died in 2021, aged 79 years old, after an accident.
Established by the KDA in 2001, the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame recognises individuals and organisations that have made a ‘significant and transformational’ impact on the Bourbon sector.
Eric Gregory, president of the KDA, said: “Since we lost the past two years to Covid-19, this is officially the 20th anniversary of the Kentucky Bourbon Gall of Fame, whiskey’s most spirited honour.
“Congratulations to this year’s esteemed class, which celebrates the visionaries, artisans and partners that have made Kentucky Bourbon – and our beloved Commonwealth – the gold standard of American whiskey. And, on behalf of our industry, a heartfelt thank you.”
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