September 7, 2023 • 9 mins
Eric Gregory, the President of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, and Chris Morris, the Master Distiller at Brown-Forman, preview the upcoming Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame induction ceremony and why it became legal for women to drink alcohol in public...
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Then Phil Collins is going to tellus it was all over all. The
world's gonna end here in the nextfew days. We can't let the world
end. We've got Bourbon to consume. It's how that works. The Bourbon
Home of Firm is going to inductnew members. I'm pretty excited about that,
(00:25):
the Kentucky Distiller's Association, recognizing thehonoring individuals and organizations that have made
significant and transformational impact on Bourbon's stature. So the Bourbon Hall of Fame induction
is about a week away. Well, one of the legends of Bourbon's is
a good friend of mine, ChrisMorris. Welcome, It's good to have
you on brother. Thanks Terry life. Good for you, long time master
(00:48):
distiller at Brown Foreman. That's twentyyears. That's unbelievable. And also joining
us as Eric Gregory's president of theKentucky Distiller's Association. Welcome, Eric,
Hey, Terry, good to hearfrom you, my friend. All right,
the Hall of Fame, Kentucky BourbonHall of Fame Induction ceremony is upon
us. Soul. You guys wantto tell me about some of the inductees
(01:11):
this time, Well, certainly wehave some interesting ones. I'll talk about
one that wee Brown Foreman have nominated, and that's chet Zaler. Chet was
instrumental in founding the Jeffersoness Reserve brand. But he's going in the Hall of
fame because he's also an author.He's written some great books about the history
(01:34):
of bourbon. So we're recognizing himas a journalist. That's very cool,
isn't There Wasn't there another Zoler that'salso going in this round of inductions.
That's his son, Trey. Yes, so we're gonna have our first father
son induction induction I guess this nextweek. Okay, what's Trey's claim to
(01:57):
fame on this the Jefferson Reserved brand. He has been key and innovation of
that brand, and he's brought alot of excitement to the category. Honi
sent me a bunch of information aboutthis, and I was stunned to learn
that women women couldn't be served liquorexcept at a table where food is served
(02:22):
until when until the seventies, thenineteen seventies. Yeah, it hasn't been
that far away since that happened.We're talking late, we're talking legally,
Yeah, I know, but thatis mind boggling. Women could not be
served liquor unless they were at atable where food is served until the nineteen
(02:46):
seventies. Or be a bartender.Oh oh, they couldn't be a bartender.
Couldn't be a bartender either. AndDixie Sherman Damouse ran a bar in
Louis Will called Dixie's Elbow Room.And she got sighted by the ABC for
having a woman as a bartender andfor a woman have a woman sitting at
(03:08):
the bar ordering a drink. Andshe decided enough was enough, and she
took it all the way through thecourt of appeals. And what so,
if you are a lady and youwould go to one of our bars or
serve as a bartender and enjoy somefine Kiteci bourbon, you have Dixie to
thank for that. I was readingthe from the notes Honey sent me.
(03:29):
In a twenty eighteen interview with theTV station she turned one hundred years old,
she said, I said, thisis ridiculous. I'm gonna change that.
So I did. So she getswith quite the character. Yeah,
go ahead, Chris. She getsher rightful place in the Bourbon Hall of
Fame. Oh, I know it. And it just shows that how our
(03:50):
industry has evolved over time. Itwas it was the evils of prohibition and
the speakeasies because they needed business thatallowed women into bars in the first place.
So that's in the nineteen twenties thatwomen can go to bars. Before
then, a woman of any respectablecategory would not have been seen at a
bar. But women start going tobars, and of course, coming out
(04:13):
of prohibition, as in the nineteenthirties, sees the new legislation trying to
recognize that the industry is now legal, how can we control it, and
again pushing back on women. Soit is a long evolutionary process that has
its ebbs and flows, and thankgoodness, we're in a good place right
now. That's Chris Morris speaking fromBrown Foreman. You are what master distiller
(04:38):
emeritus now is at your title?Yes, and that's a good point,
Terry, as you know, mysuccessor of my protege, Elizabeth McCall Brown
Foreman's first master distiller. Can youimagine if women couldn't serve at a bar
or drink at a bar, howcould you have a female master distiller.
It's incredible how far we've come.Yeah, Elizabeth's just a delightful person.
(05:00):
She's been on this show many timesover the years, and she loves the
times I've talked to her. Shejust absolutely loves this job of master distiller
in Brown Foreman. So good forwomen all around with Elizabeth's ascension to that
role, that's for sure. Okay. Others that are coming in I saw
on the list include the former Mayorof Louisville, Greg Fisher. What's that
(05:21):
up about, Eric, Yeah,Mayor Fisher really launched bourbonism. That was,
he coined the term for promoting bourbonand tourism at the same time,
and really helped resurrect the historic WhiskeyRow in downtown Louisville. And you know,
and again think about this. Tenyears ago, there were no distilleries
(05:44):
open for tours on downtown Louisville WhiskeyRow until the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience came
on late in twenty thirteen. Andnow there's almost as distiller around every block
right downtown and they're being incredibly successfuland drawing tourists from all over the world.
So as for that in our publicservice distinction, Mayor Fisher. Former
(06:05):
Mayor Fisher will be inducted next weekas well to the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of
Fame. Yeah, you know what, the growth of hotels in downtown really
I think has a lot to dowith this whole Bourbonism and Bourbon Trail.
Yeah, I think you're exactly right. I mean, we always had the
Marriott Little Las, you know,which was the state's first Bourbon theme hotel
(06:27):
out on the Hirshborne. But nowyou've got the Omni and twenty one C
and all these great boutique hotels,the Dream Hotel that's coming down near the
Frasier History Museum, which is theofficial starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
These are all opening and all they'reall having great bourbon bars and Bourbon
themes and like to speak, easywith the bowling alley at the Omni,
right, all cool things for visitorsto do when they come in and visit
(06:49):
any one of our legendary distilleries.Lots more inductees. How do people take
part in this ceremony for the KentuckyBourbon Hall of Fame. Well, we'll
be go ahead, Chris. Iwas gonna say, we sell tickets to
it, but it's open to thepublic and at and we vary from year
(07:13):
to year the venue and this yearwe're down at log Still and in New
Haven get Simity for the first time, which will be interesting. And Eric,
you were saying about the lab stream, Yeah, we are sold out
this year. Uh So Fred Minnickwill be lab streaming this, I believe
on his YouTube channel. Uh.And everybody knows Fred noted author and bourbon
celebrity. Uh. And we're proudto have him there to be able to
(07:38):
reach the masses who can't make itdown to your sem Fred's. He's incredible.
So I'm walking down Muhammad Ali Bolivara little while ago wearing only an
ascott and I thought, well,he'll like that that visually out of my
head, thank you all night.He'll appreciate that joke, that's for sure,
(07:59):
Okay. And then what night isthe event? It's a lunch event.
Next Wednesday thirteen, Next Wednesday thirteenth. Okay, very good, and
keep up the great work, guys. We're growing this Bourbonism Bourbon Trail and
it really has changed the dynamics oftravel and tourism here in Kentucky, in
(08:20):
addition obviously to pleasing the people thatlive here. Now we're very proud of
what the industry is contributing to thelocal community and the commonwealth at large.
And we are what are we called, Eric, what's our title? You
mean this is Bourbon harriagement or thebirthplace of Bourbon. We've got several I
(08:43):
was looking for the signature industry ofthe Commonwealth. There you go. Bourbon
left me hanging. I don't knowwhere we were going with that. Okay,
the signature the bregnant pause was awesome. Chris Morris, great talking to
you too, and Eric Gregory.We'll see you down the road sometime soon.
Guys, congratulations, appreciate it allright. Eric Gregory's President Kentucky Distiller's
(09:09):
Association. Chris Morris, longtime MasterDistiller A Brown Foreman, now Master Distiller
Emeritus, which means I think hejust swings in there whenever he wants and
says, ye have Philip a jigger. I'm here for lunch. That's all
good. And the Hall of Fameceremony is Thursday, excuse me, Wednesday,
September thirteenth, noontime and a lunchand you can find more details online.
(09:30):
We're back in a few on newsradio AD forty WHS
Then Phil Collins is going to tellus it was all over all. The
world's gonna end here in the nextfew days. We can't let the world
end. We've got Bourbon to consume. It's how that works. The Bourbon
Home of Firm is going to inductnew members. I'm pretty excited about that,
(00:25):
the Kentucky Distiller's Association, recognizing thehonoring individuals and organizations that have made
significant and transformational impact on Bourbon's stature. So the Bourbon Hall of Fame induction
is about a week away. Well, one of the legends of Bourbon's is
a good friend of mine, ChrisMorris. Welcome, It's good to have
you on brother. Thanks Terry life. Good for you, long time master
(00:48):
distiller at Brown Foreman. That's twentyyears. That's unbelievable. And also joining
us as Eric Gregory's president of theKentucky Distiller's Association. Welcome, Eric,
Hey, Terry, good to hearfrom you, my friend. All right,
the Hall of Fame, Kentucky BourbonHall of Fame Induction ceremony is upon
us. Soul. You guys wantto tell me about some of the inductees
(01:11):
this time, Well, certainly wehave some interesting ones. I'll talk about
one that wee Brown Foreman have nominated, and that's chet Zaler. Chet was
instrumental in founding the Jeffersoness Reserve brand. But he's going in the Hall of
fame because he's also an author.He's written some great books about the history
(01:34):
of bourbon. So we're recognizing himas a journalist. That's very cool,
isn't There Wasn't there another Zoler that'salso going in this round of inductions.
That's his son, Trey. Yes, so we're gonna have our first father
son induction induction I guess this nextweek. Okay, what's Trey's claim to
(01:57):
fame on this the Jefferson Reserved brand. He has been key and innovation of
that brand, and he's brought alot of excitement to the category. Honi
sent me a bunch of information aboutthis, and I was stunned to learn
that women women couldn't be served liquorexcept at a table where food is served
(02:22):
until when until the seventies, thenineteen seventies. Yeah, it hasn't been
that far away since that happened.We're talking late, we're talking legally,
Yeah, I know, but thatis mind boggling. Women could not be
served liquor unless they were at atable where food is served until the nineteen
(02:46):
seventies. Or be a bartender.Oh oh, they couldn't be a bartender.
Couldn't be a bartender either. AndDixie Sherman Damouse ran a bar in
Louis Will called Dixie's Elbow Room.And she got sighted by the ABC for
having a woman as a bartender andfor a woman have a woman sitting at
(03:08):
the bar ordering a drink. Andshe decided enough was enough, and she
took it all the way through thecourt of appeals. And what so,
if you are a lady and youwould go to one of our bars or
serve as a bartender and enjoy somefine Kiteci bourbon, you have Dixie to
thank for that. I was readingthe from the notes Honey sent me.
(03:29):
In a twenty eighteen interview with theTV station she turned one hundred years old,
she said, I said, thisis ridiculous. I'm gonna change that.
So I did. So she getswith quite the character. Yeah,
go ahead, Chris. She getsher rightful place in the Bourbon Hall of
Fame. Oh, I know it. And it just shows that how our
(03:50):
industry has evolved over time. Itwas it was the evils of prohibition and
the speakeasies because they needed business thatallowed women into bars in the first place.
So that's in the nineteen twenties thatwomen can go to bars. Before
then, a woman of any respectablecategory would not have been seen at a
bar. But women start going tobars, and of course, coming out
(04:13):
of prohibition, as in the nineteenthirties, sees the new legislation trying to
recognize that the industry is now legal, how can we control it, and
again pushing back on women. Soit is a long evolutionary process that has
its ebbs and flows, and thankgoodness, we're in a good place right
now. That's Chris Morris speaking fromBrown Foreman. You are what master distiller
(04:38):
emeritus now is at your title?Yes, and that's a good point,
Terry, as you know, mysuccessor of my protege, Elizabeth McCall Brown
Foreman's first master distiller. Can youimagine if women couldn't serve at a bar
or drink at a bar, howcould you have a female master distiller.
It's incredible how far we've come.Yeah, Elizabeth's just a delightful person.
(05:00):
She's been on this show many timesover the years, and she loves the
times I've talked to her. Shejust absolutely loves this job of master distiller
in Brown Foreman. So good forwomen all around with Elizabeth's ascension to that
role, that's for sure. Okay. Others that are coming in I saw
on the list include the former Mayorof Louisville, Greg Fisher. What's that
(05:21):
up about, Eric, Yeah,Mayor Fisher really launched bourbonism. That was,
he coined the term for promoting bourbonand tourism at the same time,
and really helped resurrect the historic WhiskeyRow in downtown Louisville. And you know,
and again think about this. Tenyears ago, there were no distilleries
(05:44):
open for tours on downtown Louisville WhiskeyRow until the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience came
on late in twenty thirteen. Andnow there's almost as distiller around every block
right downtown and they're being incredibly successfuland drawing tourists from all over the world.
So as for that in our publicservice distinction, Mayor Fisher. Former
(06:05):
Mayor Fisher will be inducted next weekas well to the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of
Fame. Yeah, you know what, the growth of hotels in downtown really
I think has a lot to dowith this whole Bourbonism and Bourbon Trail.
Yeah, I think you're exactly right. I mean, we always had the
Marriott Little Las, you know,which was the state's first Bourbon theme hotel
(06:27):
out on the Hirshborne. But nowyou've got the Omni and twenty one C
and all these great boutique hotels,the Dream Hotel that's coming down near the
Frasier History Museum, which is theofficial starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
These are all opening and all they'reall having great bourbon bars and Bourbon
themes and like to speak, easywith the bowling alley at the Omni,
right, all cool things for visitorsto do when they come in and visit
(06:49):
any one of our legendary distilleries.Lots more inductees. How do people take
part in this ceremony for the KentuckyBourbon Hall of Fame. Well, we'll
be go ahead, Chris. Iwas gonna say, we sell tickets to
it, but it's open to thepublic and at and we vary from year
(07:13):
to year the venue and this yearwe're down at log Still and in New
Haven get Simity for the first time, which will be interesting. And Eric,
you were saying about the lab stream, Yeah, we are sold out
this year. Uh So Fred Minnickwill be lab streaming this, I believe
on his YouTube channel. Uh.And everybody knows Fred noted author and bourbon
celebrity. Uh. And we're proudto have him there to be able to
(07:38):
reach the masses who can't make itdown to your sem Fred's. He's incredible.
So I'm walking down Muhammad Ali Bolivara little while ago wearing only an
ascott and I thought, well,he'll like that that visually out of my
head, thank you all night.He'll appreciate that joke, that's for sure,
(07:59):
Okay. And then what night isthe event? It's a lunch event.
Next Wednesday thirteen, Next Wednesday thirteenth. Okay, very good, and
keep up the great work, guys. We're growing this Bourbonism Bourbon Trail and
it really has changed the dynamics oftravel and tourism here in Kentucky, in
(08:20):
addition obviously to pleasing the people thatlive here. Now we're very proud of
what the industry is contributing to thelocal community and the commonwealth at large.
And we are what are we called, Eric, what's our title? You
mean this is Bourbon harriagement or thebirthplace of Bourbon. We've got several I
(08:43):
was looking for the signature industry ofthe Commonwealth. There you go. Bourbon
left me hanging. I don't knowwhere we were going with that. Okay,
the signature the bregnant pause was awesome. Chris Morris, great talking to
you too, and Eric Gregory.We'll see you down the road sometime soon.
Guys, congratulations, appreciate it allright. Eric Gregory's President Kentucky Distiller's
(09:09):
Association. Chris Morris, longtime MasterDistiller A Brown Foreman, now Master Distiller
Emeritus, which means I think hejust swings in there whenever he wants and
says, ye have Philip a jigger. I'm here for lunch. That's all
good. And the Hall of Fameceremony is Thursday, excuse me, Wednesday,
September thirteenth, noontime and a lunchand you can find more details online.
(09:30):
We're back in a few on newsradio AD forty WHS
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