Michter’s rise to most admired American whiskey

Kentucky-based Michter’s Distillery was named World's Most Admired American Whiskey and second Most Admired Whisky overall by Drinks International in 2022. We'll find out the story behind its incredible trajectory from master distiller, Dan McKee, in this interview produced in partnership with Michter's. Born and raised in Indiana, Dan McKee moved to Kentucky to pursue his dream of making whiskey, beginning his career as a distillery operator at Jim Beam. Two years later, he was promoted to distillery supervisor at the affiliated Booker Noe Distillery, where he worked for seven years, before following his boss Pam Heilmann to Michter’s. Dan succeeded Pam as master distiller of Michter’s in 2019. He’s played an integral role in assisting with the construction of the company’s Shively Distillery, and also its Fort Nelson distillery with the legendary pot stills and cypress wood fermenters from the original Michter’s Pennsylvania operation. I’ll leave it to him to explain the brand’s somewhat unconventional history, and its dedication to five key production values that he believes sets Michter’s apart from other American whiskies. We caught up while Dan was in Sydney recently, preparing to launch the 2022 edition of Michter’s groundbreaking Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey, which we also discuss in this interview. Australian listeners can find Michter’s in selected Dan Murphy’s, First Choice and independent retail outlets nationally. Look out for Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey in leading whisky bars in your capital city. Click here to open episode in your podcast player.