Hidden Barn Whiskey announced that mixologist Molly Wellmann is joining the brand’s team as its Master Taster.  

In her new role, Wellmann (pictured) will be helping with the batching and single barrel selections of Hidden Barn Whiskey, as she builds on the tasting profile and batching style developed by Master Blender Emeritus Jackie Zykan. 

“Jackie got us into a great place with the creation of a style and profile that myself, Bekah Neeley and the Team at Neeley Family Distillery will continue to replicate and build upon,” Royce Neeley, president and master distiller, Neeley Family Distillery, said in a news release. “The addition of Molly provides a valuable outside tasting perspective, as well as on-premise consumption knowledge, and cocktail crafting expertise from one of the most respected mixologists in the industry.  As Hidden Barn moves into its 20^th state for distribution, Molly’s knowledge in these areas will be invaluable to help us build brand sales.” 

Neeley notes visitors can expect to see Wellmann interacting at the Neeley Family Distillery in Northern Kentucky, signing bottles, tasting with fans, and maybe even jumping behind the bar.  She’ll also be visiting some markets with the Neeley team as they expand, sharing her expertise and bourbon history storytelling. 

“I’m excited to join the team at Hidden Barn, having known Royce and Bekah Neeley and Jackie Zykan for years,” Wellmann said. “One of the things that drew me to working with the Neeley team is Royce’s ‘old school’ distillation techniques, using pot still distillation with his family’s mash recipe they’ve used for generations. Like Royce, I’ve immersed myself in the history of old whiskey, as I’ve used that knowledge in crafting cocktails and curating historically accurate cocktail menus. It seems like the perfect pairing for us to share our love of historic distillation to help Hidden Barn Bourbon expand even further.” 

Wellmann is a self-taught mixologist based in Cincinnati who has immersed herself in the rich world of classic cocktails and fine spirits, particularly American whiskey. Her passion for mixology is rooted in extensive research into the history and proper preparation of cocktails.

Throughout her career, Wellmann worked at numerous popular restaurants and bars across Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. She is the former owner of several establishments, including Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar, Myrtles Punch House, The Annex, Neons, Melt and Japp’s. Currently, she operates Molly Wellmann Consulting & Entertainment, where she consults on various bar programs in the Cincinnati area and offers specialty bartending for major events, cocktail classes, cocktail creation and bourbon tastings.

Her talent has been recognized by her peers, as she has been voted Best Mixologist/Bartender by CityBeat magazine from 2010 to 2018 and again in 2020 through 2022. In 2019, she was recognized as the Best Bartender/Owner in the Nation by Nightclub and Bar Media.

Wellmann is the author of “Handcrafted Cocktails” and is currently working on her second book. 

Read more: Zykan Stepping Away from Hidden Barn Bourbon

About Hidden Barn Bourbon Whiskey

Hidden Barn’s name harkens back to the local communities who painted their barns black in solidarity with distillers during Prohibition. This sense of community is continued today through the passion for quality whiskey and camaraderie shared by its three founders, Jackie Zykan, Royce Neeley and Nate Winegar, and continues with Molly Wellmann joining as Master Taster and Zykan moving to Master Blender Emeritus. Hidden Barn Bourbon is owned by Neeley Family Distillery. The brand is available online and in select states. For more information visit hiddenbarnwhiskey.com.