Brown-Forman Cooperage Celebrates 70 Years of Barrel-Making Excellence
11 February 2016 - 8:53AM
Business Wire
The Brown-Forman Cooperage celebrated 70 years of continuous
barrel-making excellence with a commemorative ceremony at its
Louisville location on February 10, 2016. Brown-Forman is the only
major spirits company to own and operate a new whiskey
barrel-making facility.
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Brown-Forman Master Distiller Chris
Morris talks about the rich history and importance of the
Brown-Forman Cooperage. (Photo: Business Wire)
Founded in 1945, the Brown-Forman Cooperage is home to roughly
300 employees where more than 2,500 barrels per day are
hand-crafted for the aging of spirits such as Jack Daniel’s,
Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Early Times, Canadian Mist, el
Jimador, and Herradura. While these products are found globally
around the world, their journey to the bottle began at a
Brown-Forman Cooperage.
“No matter where you are in the world, in 165 countries, if you
have a glass of Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester,
Early Times, or our tequilas, Herradura and el Jimador, keep in
mind that every drop was aged in a barrel that one of our
cooperages made,” said Chris Morris, Brown-Forman master distiller
and spirits historian. “One-hundred percent of the color and
arguably more than 50% of the flavor are the result of the work the
men and women at our cooperages have done.”
In 2016, more than 600,000 American White Oak barrels will be
produced at the Brown-Forman Cooperage. Due to the growing demand
for bourbon and other American whiskeys, the Brown-Forman Cooperage
operates and produces barrels for more than 16 hours a day. During
today’s celebration, the cooperage employees were honored for their
pride, commitment, and dedication to their craft.
In addition to honoring the Cooperage employees, the ceremony
included of a variety of speakers with opening remarks from Phil
Lynch, vice president of Brown-Forman corporate communications,
followed by Michael Nelson, plant director of the Brown-Forman
Cooperage, Alex Alvarez, senior vice president, chief production
officer, and Chris Morris, Brown-Forman master distiller and
spirits historian.
Throughout the ceremony, guests were reminded just how much the
Cooperage meant to the employees, the distilling process, and
ultimately the whiskey that is loved by consumers around the world.
“As you leave here, I encourage you to look at the banners that
hang from the ceiling, said Alex Alvarez, senior vice president,
chief production officer, Brown-Forman. “We don’t make Jack
Daniel’s here. We don’t make Woodford Reserve here. We don’t make
Old Forester here. We don’t make Early Times here. We make them
better.”
The ceremony concluded with a commemorative “barrel roll” by the
most senior employee, Charlie Harden, who has been working at the
Cooperage for more than 40 years. At the end of the “barrel roll”
Charlie and his other team members were the first to sign the
commemorative barrel.
Brown-Forman also has a cooperage in Decatur, Alabama, where it
makes barrels for Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.
About Brown-Forman:
For more than 145 years, Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE: BFA)
(NYSE: BFB) has enriched the experience of life by responsibly
building fine quality beverage alcohol brands, including Jack
Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s & Cola, Jack Daniel’s
Tennessee Honey, Gentleman Jack, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel,
Finlandia, Korbel, el Jimador, Woodford Reserve, Canadian Mist,
Herradura, New Mix, Sonoma-Cutrer, Early Times, and Chambord.
Brown-Forman’s brands are supported by nearly 4,400 employees and
sold in approximately 160 countries worldwide. For more information
about the company, please visit http://www.brown-forman.com/.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160210006612/en/
Brown-Forman CorporationTracy Frederick,
502-774-7271tracy_frederick@b-f.com
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