The ongoing bourbon Renaissance has brought money, jobs and a welcome global spotlight to Kentucky as the world gains an appreciation — and seemingly insatiable thirst — for “America’s Native Spirit.”
But one thing it didn’t bring is gender diversity among the state’s master distillers — those virtuosos of the art and science of crafting these complex amber spirits. Until now, that is.
Marianne Barnes, a 28-year-old from Oldham County with a chemical engineering degree from the University of Louisville, has been named master distiller of a new bourbon house being built at the Old Taylor Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky.
“She is the best,” said Wes Murry, a real estate investor who, along with Barnes and Nicholasville attorney Will Arvin, are revamping the venerable site and preparing to launch an as-yet-unnamed brand for their company, Peristyle LLC.
Barnes, who most recently worked for Brown-Forman, is part-owner, master distiller and production operations manager. She will develop the recipes and processes for the new bourbon, as well as for a gin the house will produce. It’s an opportunity that — be it due to tradition, lack of top candidates or bias — has eluded women since at least the end of Prohibition.
“It’s about time,” said Michael Veach, bourbon historian, consultant and Filson Historical Society representative. “While women are in bourbon production roles, Barnes’ role in the new distillery is significant.”
Knowledge and dedication
Barnes’ tale of bourbon discovery during college is a bit different than most. As a chemical engineering student, she was given the option to work with corn either to create renewable energy or bourbon.
“Bourbon,” Barnes said. “Easy choice.”
With her STEM education, Brown-Forman training and tasting experience, Barnes would be a welcomed addition to most distilling operations. But the right opportunity in Kentucky was important to her, and now Barnes is the first female master distiller in Kentucky since Prohibition ended.
“I trained with a true master distiller and came up through the ranks,” Barnes said. “I feel I earned the title.”
Barnes acknowledges the barrier-breaking aspect of her new job but said the decision to start a new distillery had more to do with wanting to learn and grow than seeking such a distinction.
“It’s invigorating, and I’m honored to break the glass ceiling for women and open the doors for more to step into that role,” she said. “It takes a lot of work and training. Leaving Brown-Forman to become the first female master distiller wasn’t necessarily my goal. I really wanted to embrace that entrepreneurial spirit and be a part of a new distillery from the ground up.”
‘No. 1 recruit’
Arvin and Murry hired Barnes away from spirits giant Brown-Forman, where she had held a variety of roles since 2009. Most recently she served as master taster and associate process research engineer, but Barnes and others emphasize the depth of her experiences.
“I worked first, second and third shifts in production,” she said. “I led tasting classes at Woodford Reserve and worked to develop the first release of the Whiskey Row Bourbon Series: Old Forrester 1870, just to name a few jobs. I touched every level of bourbon at Brown-Forman.”
Fred Minnick, author of “Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey,” praised Barnes’ skills and Arvin’s and Murry’s decision to elevate her to the top status.
“Brown-Forman is an amazing company. You don’t get to that level in Brown-Forman without being significantly special,” Minnick said. “Think of Brown-Forman as the New York Yankees of spirit production. It’s the pinnacle team, and Marianne was their No. 1 recruit.”
Minnick noted that women long have been involved in bourbon production, but, he said, they rarely have been considered for the top distilling jobs.
The “master distiller” title itself is fairly new, Minnick said.
“It’s a contemporary term. It was used by founding fathers of bourbon but it lost its way,” he said. “After Prohibition, many considered themselves distillers. Of late, it has become popular.”
In Minnick’s estimation, however, some in the top role are little more than “master minglers.”
“Marianne is a master distiller,” he said.
Restoring Old Taylor site
The Old Taylor Distillery is on 80-plus acres in Versailles, Kentucky. Its signature castle-like structure is located near Millville, tucked behind world-class horse farms along Glenn’s Creek near the line between Woodford and Franklin counties. Woodford Reserve Distillery is just a couple miles down the road. Lexington company EOP is the architect of record for renovation of the former Old Taylor Distillery property. The project is in the design phase, with construction improvements to begin in late spring. If all goes according to plan, the revamped distillery will open in spring 2016.
“The lab is our first priority,” noted Barnes, who described her initial work as that of “the mad scientist.”
“I look forward to creating grain recipes in my new lab,” she said.
Bourbon is the focus, and there is a lot of space to store it. Barnes will begin to fill up one of the longest rick houses anywhere. To be bourbon, by definition, her recipes will be aged a minimum of four years in oak barrels. However, Barnes and her partners plan to hit the marketplace with other spirits sooner.
“Gin,” Barnes said, noting it doesn’t have the same aging requirements. “I’m excited to produce gin with botanicals we grow on the property.”
Indeed, plans for the revamped distillery include using locally sourced ingredients as well as retrofitting the site to boost energy efficiency.
Barnes said she plans to source as much product locally as possible in her production. Local grains already have sprouted for her experimental testing, and they have commitments from local farmers to grow for the distillery.
According to Brent Bruner, project manager for the renovations, preserving the property is paramount. Bruner said there are no plans to tear down structures and that they are in discussions to pursue LEED-efficiency upgrades, as determined by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The company’s name — Peristyle, which refers to an ornate spring house on the property — embodies this mix of old and new.
“The property contains several buildings perfect for solar panels,” Barnes said, looking at the peristyle’s roof. “It is on our minds. There are several natural springs on the property, and Glenn’s Creek is an important source of water.”
Barnes and her partners are set to enter a booming market, with Kentucky responsible for 95 percent of the world’s supply of bourbon, according to the Kentucky Distillers’ Association 2014 Economic Impact Study. The industry employs more than 9,000 people in Kentucky and produced $125 million in tax revenue.
But for Barnes, the joy and objective remains crafting great spirits.
“This is an exciting opportunity to touch and influence every aspect of a distillery operation,” she said.
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Business Lexington Editor M. David Nichols contributed to this report.