Miles and Marko from Charbay. Photo: nerdling, Flickr
In days of old, a son learning his father's craft was no major news, just an expected and traditional way to build a career. Now, many companies choose to highlight family teams in their marketing strategies.
Let's start in the heart of American distillation -- Kentucky. The largest distillery there may be owned by giant drinks company Fortune Brands, but the Jim Beam legacy is seven generations deep. The current master distiller is Frederick "Fred" Booker Noe III. He had a hard act to follow with the passing away of his beloved father, Booker Noe, who happened to be the grandson of James. B. Beam. Fred Noe has one son -- Frederick Booker Noe IV -- who, even at his young age, undoubtedly feels a little pressure to follow the family's legacy in the whiskey business.
Jim Beam doesn't hoard all the Beam family teams, however. Heaven Hill Distillery is Kentucky's largest family-owned bourbon producer. After prohibition, the Shapiro family jump-started this distillery with the help of the first cousin of Jim Beam, and ever since then a member of the Beam family has been in charge of distillation. Today Parker Beam and his son Craig make an incredible family team at Heaven Hill.
The Maker's Mark legacy also includes a father and son. T.W. "Bill" Samuels, Sr., initiated the small-batch brand. Although his son is not the master distiller (and the company is now owned by the same corporation as Jim Beam), Bill Samuels Jr. is at the forefront of Maker's Mark as President and has given the company amazing presence in the marketplace.
Even the easily recognized Wild Turkey has a father and son team. Master Distiller Jimmy Russell has been with his company for over 75 years. His father and grandfather were in the business, and now his son Eddie wears the title Associate Distiller.
Julian Van Winkle III has kept his family name on some of the most delicious bourbons in the marketplace, although his family stopped producing whiskey themselves in 1972 with the sell of their Stitzel-Weller distillery. He and his son Preston (Julian says he just couldn't bear to name his boy after himself making a Julian IV) travel the world promoting their whiskeys.
Kentucky Bourbon Distillers may not be making their own whiskey just yet, but the family distillery is being rebuilt by the Kulsveen family. The father has trained up son Drew and daughter Brit to be leaders at his side.
In the craft distilling movement, two of the most compelling teams are on opposite sides of the country. Marko Karakasevic was recently declared the Master Distiller of Charbay after working under his father Miles for many years, making him the 13th generation in the family distilling heritage. Ralph Erenzo of New York's Tuthilltown Spirits now has his son Gable working in the business, and even recently put out a lovely video of their teamwork as rock climbers as well as distillers.
Happy Father's Day!
Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of Casa Cóctel with partner Demián Camacho Santa Ana. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.
