The Legends Series at The Kentucky Derby Museum is back! Derby Museum Bourbon Authority Fred Minnick has an all-star lineup planned for this season. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Minnick invites a different bourbon legend, from Master Distillers to writers and historians, to each event. There is a tasting of a series of bourbons during a journalistic-style Q&A session.
The next event will take place October 2 from 5:30-7:30 and will feature Master Distiller Greg Metze of MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Unlike most of the other programs, this particular one will focus on rye whiskeys instead of bourbons. Attendees will also have an opportunity to purchase a signed bottle of Limited Edition Redemption Barrel Proof signed by Metze.
You may remember this story from a while back about how your craft rye is made in a factory. MGP is the “factory” in question that supplies startup whiskey brands, including Bulleit, Templeton, and Redeption, with high quality rye distillate they can rectify to their own specifications until they get their distilleries up and running. Good whiskey doesn’t happen overnight, folks.
According to the event page, “MGP Ingredients master distiller Greg Metze has worked in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, at the same distillery since 1978. Shortly after graduating from the University of Cincinnati with a bachelor of science in chemical engineering, Metze took a job with the Seagram’s Distillery, where he worked up the ranks to distillation coordinator. Then, Seagram’s went out of business in 2001 and the plant came under Pernod-Ricard ownership, where Metze became the master distiller. The facility was sold to Trinidad and Tobago-based CL Financial in 2007, where Metze became the most-imporant rye distiller in the United States. Renamed LDI, the distillery became a rye whiskey supplier for American distillers, giving start-up companies high-quality whiskey to start their companies. In 2011, CL Financial sold to MGP, where Metze continued making rye whiskey. The vision for his distillery has changed several times, but Metze’s whiskey-making skills have never changed. He's made more rye whiskey than anybody living in the United States. Metze makes the distillate for Bulleit Rye, Redemption Rye, Templeton Rye and many other rye whiskeys, but until recently, he's been America's secret rye distiller.”
Tickets are $50. The next guests will be:
December 4th: Jimmy Russell
February 5th: Harlen Wheatley
June 4th: Bill Samuels
August 6th: Mike Veach
Click here for more information.
Photos Courtesy of Kentucky Derby Museum
