Written by READE A. HUDDLESTON, MSc
Photos provided by UK MARTIN-GATTON COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD & ENVIRONMENT
From LECTURE HALLS to LIQUOR SHELVES Wildcask bourbon bridges the gap between classroom theory and commercial reality for University of Kentucky distillation students
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eaching distillation in a classroom is a difficult task. The old saying that “some things are better caught than taught” applies to many aspects of a distiller’s daily duties. Nevertheless, many educators still find inventive and creative ways to prepare would-be distillers for the rigors of the spirits industry. Recently, the University of Kentucky’s James B. Beam Institute ( JBBI for short) has found a new way to help students learn about what it takes to become a successful distiller, and they are doing it with the release of a bourbon whiskey: Wildcask.
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The idea that would eventually become Wildcask was first conceived nearly two years ago when industry veteran Herb Heneman approached JBBI’s director Seth Debolt about creating a new class for students in the Distillation, Wine and Brewing Studies certificate program. Heneman, who was previously chief commercial officer at Bardstown Bourbon Company, wanted to give students the opportunity to learn more about the business aspects of making good whiskey. Debolt agreed that such a class could be valuable for students, and together they created a two-semester course titled Commercialization of Distilled Spirits. The goal of this new class was to teach students about what it takes to get bottles onto liquor store shelves, and it included guest lectures from distributors, marketing companies, and all the other ancillary industries that are part of the long and winding spirits supply chain. However, just learning about these concepts in a classroom wasn’t enough. Heneman and Debolt also wanted the students to get hands-on experience, so they added a final project requirement that involved the students launching a whiskey and getting it placed on store shelves. No small feat, as many distillers can tell you. Last year the 12 students of the inaugural Commercialization of Distilled Spirits class started lessons and immediately got to work on their final project. The first semester of the class was spent mostly conceptualizing the product and creating a brand. With the help of a marketing agency, students put forward several different names and designs before eventually deciding on the name Wildcask as a nod to the University of Kentucky’s sports mascot, the Wildcats. The students also had to navigate the complex legal requirements that are required when launching an alcoholic beverage — a task that was made even more complex, according to Heneman, by the additional bureaucracy associated with working through a large public university. Despite these struggles, the students worked diligently, and by the end of the first semester they had a blueprint of what needed to happen.
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