Behind the Brand
Lee Diaz, ReserveBar Staff Writer
Toast to magical moments
with our collection of holiday favorites.
With a history that dates back to the 1700s, the Michter’s brand has more recently flourished once again thanks to the vision of Joseph J. Magliocco and his brothers to revive the more recently defunct brand. That’s right, you might be surprised to discover that this is in fact a family-owned business that has quickly and proudly revived a distilling tradition and moved it to where they knew their best version of it should be, Kentucky. We sat down with Master Distiller, Dan McKee and Master of Maturation, Andrea Wilson, the production leaders at the helm of this effort, to discover how their individual journeys and ongoing collaboration have helped develop Michter’s astounding range of whiskeys through an unwavering commitment to flavor and experience.
Andrea: My journey goes back to being a child who loved to make things and loved to cook with my mom – I learned a lot from my mom and grandmothers about cooking, flavors and all of those things. But my biggest influences probably came from one of my grandfathers who was a moonshiner here in Kentucky, and one of my great uncles who worked for the Seagram Corporation. My grandparents were always hosting parties, and I just was very enchanted by beverages and how pretty they looked in the glass, and how everyone always seemed like they were having fun. My family also made beer and wine for holidays and to give away as gifts. I found myself really captivated by all of that, which to me, all falls under the umbrella of hospitality. I love people, and I love how spirits connect people and gives them ways to chat and get to know each other.
Dan: Wow! My story is going to be a little simpler than Andrea’s. Just to start out, while I can’t pinpoint a specific moment or influence that sparked this passion, I’ve enjoyed drinking bourbon for a long time and I'm doing what I love to do. I can truly say that I have found what I was destined to do. And when you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.
Dan: Over 18 years ago, I had the opportunity to apply for a distillery operator position at the Jim Beam Clermont distillery. The thought of making whiskey was extremely exciting, which led me to actually move to Kentucky for this opportunity to work in the bourbon industry. Little did I know then that working at Jim Beam for nine years and then joining the Michter’s team, now coming up on ten years would really lead to this amazing journey. Ultimately, by May of 2019, I became Michter's Master Distiller – I'm extremely honored to hold this position. It's a reflection of all the great people that I've been able to work with through the years, whether at Jim Beam or working with Willie Pratt, Michter's first Master Distiller and Pam Heilmann, our second Master Distiller. And of course, I work very closely with Andrea and the great team members around us.
Andrea: I went to school for chemical engineering, graduating with a Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering, and I aspired to be in this industry. Sadly, when I graduated, you learn very quickly that this is a career industry. People come into it and often stay in it for a lifetime. That coupled with the fact that the industry was not growing at the time, I didn't have any job opportunities, so I became an engineering consultant for many years. Ultimately I received a call one day from Diageo, which is the largest liquor company in the world, and worked for them for many years, leading to overseeing their North American distilling and maturing business, and just loved it very much. I left Diageo in 2014 and came over to Michter's. And now I've been with Michter's for about 10 years, and I have loved every minute of it. Working for a family-owned business is something really special. I love their quality philosophy, and so I'm also doing what I love to do.
Dan: Having the opportunity to work for a family-owned company with a cost-be-damned model when it comes to quality has been very rewarding. Michter's has assembled an extremely skilled team with the best tools and equipment to make a super premium whiskey. We start out with the highest quality ingredients, like USDA grade No. 1, non-GMO grains, and then we distill on a 100% copper distillation system. We always talk about six signature production techniques, with one of them for example being that we enter our distillate into the barrel at a very low 103-proof. And of course, we skillfully age the whiskey in the highest quality oak barrels – these are just some of the things we're doing. Coming to a family-owned business and having this culture built around a focus on quality and not quantity has been very rewarding.
Andrea: I was born and raised in Kentucky. Kentucky is my home and part of our history and heritage is Kentucky bourbon so there was a natural attraction for me. When I came to Michter’s, I was inspired by the quality philosophy, it being a family-owned business, and the passion for making the best American whiskey. That's really the heart and soul of what we're doing here. To be part of this family-owned business that wants to hire amazing talent, source the best ingredients, and have the best equipment, you're afforded with all of the opportunities to try to make the best whiskey that you can. It's also a culture of collaboration, where you're not working in a silo; you actually get to engage with all parts of the business with the goal of making the best American whiskey. It's very unique in that way.
Andrea: Just to touch a little bit on the history of Michter's, it was founded in 1753 by John Shenk, a Swiss Mennonite farmer, in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. We trace our heritage back to America's first whiskey company, and in 1861 it was sold to Abraham Bomberger and was known for many decades as Bomberger’s. It closed during US prohibition, reopened in 1934, and it was picked up by a gentleman in the 1950s, Lou Forman, who actually renamed the brand after his two sons, Michael and Peter. In 1989 sadly, Michter’s closed, and that was seemingly the loss of the brand to history. Joe Magliocco and his brothers acquired the trademark for $245 in the 1990s and began a long journey to resurrect Michter's. The first strategic decision they made was to relocate the brand to Kentucky.
Since that time, Michter's has gone through three phases of production. In the first phase they didn't have any assets, so when they acquired the abandoned trademark, they didn't have any barrels, no distillery, and really nothing except a name. So they began sourcing Kentucky straight rye and Kentucky straight bourbon of a style that they really liked and hoped to emulate in the future themselves. Through those acquisitions, they started bottling and began selling Michter's. In phase two, they didn't yet have the financial resources to build their own distilleries, so they went to a great Kentucky distillery with excess capacity and forged agreement for the production of their recipes. And in effect, Joe always says it was like a chef using someone else's restaurant kitchen before they could afford their own. In phase three, they finally had the resources to build their own distillery in the Shively section of Louisville and became a licensed distiller in 2012. Then in 2014 we installed our main all-copper distillation system, which is a 32-inch column still that is 46 feet high, and has a 250-gallon pot still doubler with it.
By 2015 we were confident that our phase three distillate that we were producing was as good, if not better, than what we had been doing in phase two, so we began barreling and aging whiskey. We're proud that all of our US*1 products have transitioned from phase two to phase three. Today, we continue to have that same house style: a rich, flavorful, easy drinking whiskey with a great mouth feel. I think that a big part of your whiskey drinking experience is that rich texture.
Currently we have three locations. We have our main distillery in the Shively section of Louisville. We have our farm and operations in Springfield, Kentucky, and we also have our Michter's Fort Nelson Distillery in downtown Louisville, which is our second operating distillery. It houses the legendary pot still distillation system and cypress wood fermenters from the Pennsylvania operation, and it's also on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. People can come visit and take a tour and do a tasting, and also visit the beautiful Bar at Fort Nelson on the second floor to experience world class cocktails.
Dan: At its very basic view, as Master Distiller, I'm overseeing the distillation process, and Andrea as Master of Maturation is overseeing the maturing of the whiskey. But we really do overlap throughout the lifecycle of the whiskey, whether it's at the very beginning of making the distillate, through the many stages of the aging process. We're constantly tasting our whiskeys from the beginning all the way through to the end along with reviewing all of the quality data that is collected. We are collaborating to ensure that from the start of the process all the way through to the end, we are upholding the highest quality – working together with the team to select the best grains, barrels, and production techniques.
Andrea: I think that collaboration for us really means we're all at a table together, and everyone's contributing to the process and everyone's listening to each other. It doesn't always mean that we're all going to agree with each other, but it means we're going to contribute, listen to each other, debate and ultimately align on what we think is going to help us achieve our goal of making the best American whiskey. I think the foundation of Michter’s is a quality philosophy. I agree with Dan that I believe it’s outstanding that as an organization, there’s a recognition that making whiskey is a very complex sequence of events and details, and that the details and decisions matter. This means everything in the process, from the grains coming in all the way through the milling, cooking, fermentation, and distillation processes. But then, also recognizing that the barrel is the final ingredient – the barrel specifications to barrel procurement, the entry strength of the whiskey into the barrel, heat cycling, temperature monitoring, tracking and sampling of the barrels through maturation all the way through to custom chill filtration, and bottling.
Clearly, there are many tasks, details, and responsibilities. Having a Master Distiller, a Master of Maturation, and an amazing and talented team, who are the next generation of Michter’s is incredibly exciting! It has allowed us to build a culture of quality control from beginning to end and create so many opportunities to have many perspectives and methods of innovation both for now and the future of Michter’s.
Andrea: I think one of the signatures of Michter's is our low entry proof into the barrel at 103 proof. In 1962, the maximum entry proof into a barrel changed from 110 proof to the current maximum under the law, 125 proof. We conform to that old standard of being less than 110 proof by dropping the higher proof off the still down to 103 proof by adding water. That means we're going to have roughly 75% whiskey and 25% water in the barrel. Because we barrel our distillate at a lower-than-industry standard entry proof, we need to expend substantial extra funds to purchase more barrels and build more rickhouse storage space.
To put this in context, by using our lower barrel entry proof of 103 vs. the industry allowable barrel entry proof of 125, we come out of the barrel at lower proof and add 50% less water to our whiskey on the day of bottling to get to bottling strength. This more expensive protocol ultimately leads to richer barrel chemistry that produces a richer, smoother whiskey and you enjoy more of the whiskey that took years to develop in the barrel.
I think that is just one example of how we have worked together to create something that isn't just about the distillate and the flavors that develop through fermentation, but also going further to think about how this whiskey is going to age in that wood, and being able to harness the flavor extractives that are both soluble in spirit and soluble in water. That's an exciting way to think about it.
Dan: Just to add to that great example, the collaboration of Andrea, myself and the team gives us access to a very diverse team with a lot of different experiences throughout the distilling industry with different skill sets. We really have approached it by pulling out the best parts of each experience, and then building off of those, which I believe has really allowed us to experience great success.
Dan: I value my routine of working each day with our team in a very hands-on way. From the mashing of the grains through the fermentation, distillation and tasting the new distillate each day to ensure it's of the highest quality before it can be entered into the barrels for maturing. As a distiller, my favorite time of the morning is going back and trying the distillate, and throughout the day. Again, I have enjoyed distilling ever since I became a distillery operator. That's when I knew I loved it and when the passion started.
Andrea: You know, Michter’s has become known for producing rich, flavorful, beautiful whiskeys with a great finish that kind of warms you at the back of your throat, but doesn't burn you in your chest. That in part comes back to that low entry proof, and we're not adding as much water at bottling either, so you don't get a diluted experience, so you're really able to take advantage of that flavorful, consistent, repeatable, liquid that we produce. But that doesn't happen by accident. It happens by a team of dedicated individuals who are focused on uncompromising quality. We have a team of over 25 employees here who are trained to taste and smell whiskey, and we've been afforded a state of the art laboratory that allows us to ensure every whiskey meets our quality specifications. We truly operate every day with a culinary mindset, and we're thinking about innovation. We're growing, learning, and practicing. You know that old adage of “practice makes perfect,” and we're also incredibly disciplined. We are precise, accurate, and always giving our best. That's really a part of the ethos here, the details and decisions matter.
Andrea: If you look back to 25 years ago, the industry was not booming. Aged American whiskeys were not of interest – Kentucky bourbon and Kentucky rye were not regarded as sophisticated spirits; they weren’t really even being used much in cocktails until the cocktail renaissance championed by so many great bartenders. With the exception of a few large brands, exporting American whiskey was not even a focus. Today, things have really changed. American whiskey is being enjoyed all over the world. There are beautiful representations of complex aged American whiskeys like the Michter's 20-year Bourbon, the Michter's 25-year Bourbon and 25-year Rye, and Michter’s Celebration. Sophisticated cocktails are being made by amazing, talented artists from behind the bar. Social groups and forums are expanding American whiskey’s reach and the categories are booming. Because of that, I feel like the future of American whiskey is really bright. And one of the things I think we're most proud of is that Michter's was selected as the World's Most Admired Whiskey, being the first time an American whiskey had been selected by UK-based publication Drinks International to receive that accolade.
We always say we're in the bourbon business, but we're really in the hospitality industry – this is what we do. People are going to enjoy these whiskeys in their most special moments. And if you can create a product that helps connect people on an emotional level and make it memorable for them, that is something to really celebrate, and it's an honor to do it. For Michter's, I believe we want to continue to focus on creating consistent, repeatable quality with thoughtful, purposeful innovation that is really something special, aged to perfection. It's about creating and curating beautiful, rich whiskeys that can be sipped and savored and that we're proud to offer to whiskey lovers everywhere.
Dan: It's been very rewarding. In addition to my love for distilling, and being able to produce a very premium whiskey to be enjoyed by whiskey lovers around the world, another aspect of my job is actually getting to meet those individuals. And that part has been so much more enjoyable than I ever thought. The whiskey lovers passion and their knowledge has been very impactful. It's really provided a lot of great experiences. Meeting people from all over the world and hearing their stories has come with a lot of great satisfaction personally.
Andrea: I'm just very honored. My journey has been one of working hard, doing what I love to do, and being able to create. I love science; that's what I went to school for, but there's a certain artistic talent that comes with this too. Being able to have the opportunity to create beautiful whiskeys with the support of a passionate family, collaborate with amazing team members like Dan and so many other members of our team, like Matt Bell, our Distiller and Vice President of production, and Katherine O’Nan, who oversees our blending and planning, and Marcus Niemann, who oversees our quality, is just remarkable and really humbling as well. And I'm very proud of the whiskeys that we're able to share with people all over the globe and share with them why the whiskey is so special. I do very much feel like there is something for everyone to enjoy with friends and family or on special occasions. We've tried to create a portfolio of whiskeys that really are something unique.
Dan: I think our Michter's US*1 line-up is the perfect set of whiskeys for someone to begin with. It's a line-up consisting of our Small Batch and Single Barrel whiskeys, which offer a unique experience with lots of flavor. There's a whiskey for everyone, beginning with our US*1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon, which has a nice, rich caramel and is well-balanced with vanilla and stone fruit notes. Then there’s our US*1 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye, which is very approachable with the rye grain content in the mash bill being closer to that 51% minimum requirement to allow the additional corn and malted barley to offer a real nice balance of sweetness and spice. The result gives you notes of citrus and butterscotch and a touch of oak also.
If you're looking for something different than a bourbon or a rye whiskey, we have a US*1 Original Sour Mash Whiskey, which is really in between a bourbon and a rye. It's a very nice, elegant whiskey that starts out a little sweet, like a bourbon and finishes with a little spice like a rye whiskey. It has some beautiful different notes like toasted burnt sugar, spice, and smoky fruit; it's a very beautiful whiskey. Last in the line-up is our US*1 Unblended American Whiskey. It's very approachable and provides a really nice, sweet dessert-like experience. This expression uses whiskey that was aged in our new toasted and charred American white oak barrels, and we also use some of our once used Michter's bourbon barrels, which really adds a nice roundness and additional sweetness to the whiskey. We're not adding any coloring, flavoring or grain neutral spirit, like a typical blended American whiskey does, so it's a very beautiful, sweet whiskey.
Andrea: I love to drink neat, but I think Michter's as a brand is one that you can enjoy neat, on a rock or in a beautifully crafted cocktail. Each expression is unique, as Dan was sharing, creating the opportunity for you to explore different recipes and flavor profiles. I think my personal favorite cocktail is the Black Manhattan. In your typical Manhattan, you would use vermouth, but I like to substitute the vermouth for amaro, so it really brings an herbaceousness to the cocktail that is just lovely. So I have my recipe for that, which is 1 ½ ounces of Michter’s Bourbon, then a ½ ounce of Foro Amaro, a dash of chocolate bitters and a little spritz of lemon. It is phenomenal. It's one of my favorite ways to drink Michter's.
Dan: Like Andrea, I really do enjoy our whiskeys neat, and I'm also the person that lets the professional behind the bar specialize in making those world class cocktails to enjoy. I definitely do not have the talent to do that, but I have a fun cocktail that I enjoy though with our US*1 Unblended American Whiskey – I really enjoy a nice whiskey smash. I use peaches with the American whiskey with a little lemon juice and some sugar. You can't beat it, and it's a very simple cocktail for me to make.
Andrea: Oh yes, that’s a great choice! I think the Whiskey Smash is an amazing cocktail, because it's really about whatever fruit you have in your house. You can put it in there, muddle it, put in a little ice, a little simple syrup, add your whiskey, and off you go. It's just a nice drink really, and it can be a winter cocktail too, because even in the winter, you can switch it up with a holiday fruit like cranberries.
Dan: As you open that next bottle of Michter’s, just know that there is a level of artistry, creativity and precision throughout the process to cultivate the flavors you’re about to discover. There’s a balance between our six signature production techniques and the freedom to really explore them. All of our products are going to either be a single barrel product or small batch. Our small batch is truly small being the equivalent of just 20 full barrels. The wood staves used for the barrels are air dried and seasoned for a minimum of 18 months up to five years (60 months). All of our barrels are toasted before being charred, which allows for so much more flavor extraction. As Andrea mentioned, our very low barrel entry proof at 103 allows for a very rich, flavorful whiskey. During the winter time, we even practice heat cycling to increase the interaction between the wood and the whiskey, which is a practice that very few distilleries do. Ultimately, our goal in all of this is to create a whiskey that's very rich, well-balanced, has a nice warm mouth feel, and ultimately smooth to help create a memorable experience for you.
Andrea: I would just say that whiskey brings people together for so many reasons and in so many ways. It complements any experience and builds lasting memories. For us, the opportunity to pursue making something so beautiful and delicious to share with someone else is tremendously rewarding. And so we hope that you will choose Michter's and enjoy the pour.