Michter’s is proud to announce that its Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson will be inducted into The Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame®. In 2009, Andrea “broke the glass ceiling” when she became the first woman to ever Chair the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.
Andrea is Michter’s Master of Maturation as well as its Chief Operating Officer. As Michter’s Master of Maturation, Andrea manages barrel specifications, barrel procurement, heat cycling and temperature monitoring during aging, tracking maturation of barrels, whiskey filtration in preparation for bottling, and innovation to continue to improve the aging process.
Becoming the first woman to ever serve as Chair of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is among the many honors achieved by Andrea during her illustrious career. Andrea is admired for her accomplishments in the whiskey industry and has been involved in all aspects of making Michter’s whiskeys. Before joining Michter’s, Andrea spent over ten years with Diageo in various whiskey related positions including Director of Distillation and Maturation, North America – overseeing both the U.S. and Canadian distillation and maturation programs.
Prior to her departure from Diageo she was the company’s Director of Whiskey Strategy for North American operations. She holds a Master of Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Louisville, and she has been highlighted in the KET television documentary, Kentucky Bourbon Tales: Distilling the Family Business.
Established in 2001, The Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® recognizes individuals and organizations who have had a transformative impact on the Bourbon industry.
“Andrea is enormously talented, and she is a terrific leader. She has contributed tremendously to both the growth of Michter’s Distillery and to the growth of the entire Kentucky Bourbon industry,” stated Michter’s President Joseph J. Magliocco. “There is no one more deserving of this high honor.”
Wilson added, “I am humbled to be recognized by The Kentucky Distillers’ Association for my impact on our industry. I am enormously grateful to have been given the opportunity to play a role in fostering the growth of Kentucky Bourbon and the American Whiskey Category. It is an honor to be included among the six outstanding individuals who will be inducted next month.”
Additionally the Bourbon Hall of Fame inducted,
- Retiring Rep. D. Chad McCoy, R-Bardstown, Majority Whip, Kentucky House of Representatives, two-time recipient of the KDA’s “100 Proof” award for public service and champion of several landmark pieces of legislation.
- The late Stephen Francis Thompson, Founder and President, Kentucky Artisan Distillery (Lifetime Achievement Award), former president of Brown-Forman Distilleries and a pioneering resource for craft distilleries across the country.
- Julian P. Van Winkle, III, President, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, heralded grandson of Bourbon legend Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle, creator of the ultra-aged premium Pappy Van Winkle brand and the very first James Beard winner from Kentucky, as well as numerous other accolades.
- Retiring U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Louisville, Co-Founder of the Congressional Bourbon Caucus and Chair of the House Budget Committee who helped lead a permanent reduction on the federal excise tax on distillers among other key measures.
- Kaveh Zamanian, Founder, Whiskey Maker and CEO, Rabbit Hole Distillery, left Iran in 1979 during the revolution and founded Rabbit Hole in 2012. He blends the immigrant whiskey maker tradition with time-honored methods, diverse perspectives and modernist aesthetics.
