The Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) held the induction ceremony for the 24th class of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, the bourbon industry’s highest honour, on 20 September 2026 at the Marriott Louisville East. The event gathered more than 300 guests and was livestreamed worldwide.
This year’s seven inductees are Shane Baker and E. Patrick Heist, co-founders of Ferm Solutions and Wilderness Trail Distillery; W.L. Lyons Brown Sr. and George Garvin Brown II, grandsons of the Brown-Forman founder, honoured posthumously for their role in turning the company into Kentucky’s largest distiller after Prohibition; Eric Gregory, KDA president since 2008, recognised for legislative reforms and the expansion of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail; author and journalist Fred Minnick, described as one of bourbon’s modern storytellers; and former state senator John W. Schickel, for his reforms of alcohol legislation.
The context explains the weight of the honour: Kentucky produces 95% of the world’s bourbon, supports 24,000 jobs and generates $10.6 billion a year. Brown-Forman brands are also present in Moldova — for example Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select, available at Mister Tabaco.
Source: The Whiskey Wash