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action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /nas/content/live/fredminnick/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6121Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame Announces 2024 Class
The Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame’s 2024 class includes the first Black chemist at Brown-Forman, a veteran visitor center manager who elevated Bourbon tourism, two distinctive distillery founders and a trailblazing retailer who later created his own craft distillery.
That retail guru is Ken Lewis, retired Founder and CEO of New Riff Distilling, and this year’s recipient of the Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award. As a retailer, Lewis created The Party Source megastore and drove legal and legislative changes to allow Sunday and credit card sales of alcohol.
A fearless entrepreneur, in 2014 Lewis launched New Riff Distilling in Northern Kentucky, with the goal of creating one of the world’s great small distilleries based on innovation and collaboration to “riff” on the old ways and redefine new benchmarks of whiskey making.
Eric Gregory, longtime president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association that created and operates the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, lauded this year’s visionary class and said in a news release, “Our signature Bourbon industry would not be what it is today without these distinguished honorees.
“Each put the industry before self, helping Kentucky cement its place in history as the international and undisputed home of Bourbon. And now we are honored to honor them. On behalf of our signature industry, we offer congratulations – and a heartfelt thank you – to these Bourbon heroes.”
This year’s class, in alphabetic order, will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame in September:
Read more: Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame Inducts Eight
Kentucky Bourbon Festival
The KDA created the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2001 to recognize individuals and organizations that have made a significant and transformational impact on Bourbon’s stature, growth and awareness. It is the highest honor given by the signature industry.
Candidates are nominated each year by the KDA and its member distilleries. A blue-ribbon committee – including all living recipients of the Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award – painstakingly reviews and selects up to five applicants a year for induction.
The invitation-only ceremony will be held Tuesday, Sept. 10, at The Legacy at Log Still in Nelson County, Ky. The intimate event, known for attracting the industry’s most revered legends and champions, is held annually in conjunction with the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown.
The 2024 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame ceremony and luncheon is sponsored by Brindiamo Group, Blue & Co., LLC, Bardstown Tourism, Buzick Construction, Inc., Stedman Machine Company and Vendome Copper & Brass Works Corp.
For more information, visit https://kybourbon.com/industry/hall-of-fame/.