Whisky Makers on Fatherhood

In recognition of Father’s Day, we spoke to four prominent whisky makers—Eddie Russell of Wild Turkey, Adam Hannett of Bruichladdich, Harlen Wheatley of Buffalo Trace, and Chris Morris of Brown-Forman—to ask how fatherhood has impacted their whisky making and vice versa. Three of these distiller dads have grown-up children, while Hannett’s are still young.

Are there bottles you made or collected that you saved for your kids?

Morris: I have been very selective in maintaining a personal bottle archive; otherwise, it would have gotten out of hand. Originally, I kept special bottles for myself as a form of a liquid scrapbook, bottles of memories. Over the last few years, I have shared a few with my children while donating most to charitable auctions. Ultimately, whatever is left will go to my children.

Wheatley: We reserved a barrel for each of my two boys when they were born and watched it until it was time to bottle. We then bottled a Single Barrel Select barrel for both. I do have a new grandchild, Jettsen, and we will just have to wait and see what surprises are around the corner.

Russell: Bruce likes digging through some of the old stuff that we’ve got lying around. I can’t say I was intentionally saving things for my boys at the time, but once they were old enough to appreciate them, I was excited to start sharing our old bottles with them.

Hannett: There are a few bottles I’ve tucked away over the years that I imagine the kids might end up with one day—assuming I don’t change my mind and open them first! The bottles I’ve saved are quite sentimental to me rather than being the rarest or most collectible. I love the stories around the whiskies and will pass them down, along with the bottles, one day.

What has whiskey making taught you about fatherhood?

Morris: It has taught me patience, which was difficult because I’m not a very patient person. It has also taught me to be a teacher and a listener, skills that are useful in parenting.

Russell: Surely it’s taught me a thing or two about patience. In all honesty, it’s taught me all kinds of things about hard work, dedication, loyalty, and a commitment to making something you’re proud of with good people around you. Those are the same values I tried to instill in my boys, and what guides me both as a father and as a distiller.

Hannett: Patience, without question. Whisky teaches you that you can’t rush quality—some things simply need time, care, and attention. Fatherhood is very similar. You learn to be present and to understand that the small things you do consistently over time matter enormously in the long run.

Wheatley: Whiskey making has been part of all my adult life, and it is our way of life. Raising the boys while committed to making great whiskey has always been intermingled. I had probably the only two boys in grade school who knew when a fermentation was complete!

On the other hand, has fatherhood lent anything to your whiskey making?

Russell: Absolutely. It makes you more mindful of what you’re building and what you’ll leave behind. I know the kind of pressures that come with the business, and when Bruce got on board, I did my best to prepare him while also letting him learn those lessons on his own. That’s how my dad taught me, and though it was hard at times, it was the right way to learn.

Hannett: Becoming a father definitely gave me a different perspective on legacy and responsibility. When you’re making whisky, especially spirit that may not be bottled for decades, you start thinking beyond yourself. Fatherhood sharpened that mindset for me; it made me more thoughtful about what we leave behind, the standards we uphold, and the kind of stories our whiskies tell for future generations.

Wheatley: Of course there are many parallels, but one that comes to mind is learning patience. Have to have patience in both fatherhood and whiskey making.

Whisky often seems to become a family calling. Was there ever encouragement (or discouragement) about jumping into it?

Russell: The first summer I started at Wild Turkey, I was going to college. I got out of school and thought I would just lay around for the summer and enjoy myself, but my mom and dad had different ideas. I came to the distillery and I thought it would last the summer. But 45 years later, here I am. Nobody ever told me this was what I had to do. It just became clear pretty quickly that it was where I belonged. There are always going to be challenges when working alongside family, but contributing to something bigger than yourself, a legacy with your name on it, more than makes up for those pressures. When the time came with my boys, I didn’t want them to feel forced into this job, but Bruce naturally gravitated toward it.

Hannett: My kids (who are still quite young) definitely know what I do, although I’m not sure they fully appreciate the complexity of the role just yet. They’re curious about the distillery and what goes on (and are particularly interested in where we keep the biscuits!). They love coming in and seeing what’s going on, especially around our Fèis Ìle festival day when there’s so much activity. They are involved in the day as they are highland dancers and perform in the courtyard, so they love being part of the excitement. Whether they’ll want to get into whisky themselves one day is entirely up to them, but I’d never discourage an interest in craftsmanship or creativity, whatever form it takes.

Wheatley: I have one son in the business, and he’s doing well. He works for James E. Pepper in Lexington as a warehouse manager. With his role, he does a little of everything—running the stills, barreling, bottling, and so on. It’s a great experience, and he seems to love it.

Morris: In Kentucky, many families take pride in their connections to the distilling industry. Both my father and mother were in the business, as are both of my children and a nephew. It’s hard to get Kentucky bourbon out of your blood!

Did you gift either of your sons a bottle of whisky when they turned 21?

Russell: I don’t know about gifting them something; I’m sure they took something from my stash!

Hannett: I think it would have to be something meaningful rather than simply rare or expensive. Ideally, a whisky distilled around the year they were born—something with a real connection to them and to our family story. And hopefully something we could open together, sit down with, and enjoy properly rather than keeping sealed on a shelf.

Wheatley: I gave my youngest son his barrel as a wedding gift when he got married.

Morris: I did not follow the ritual of gifting a bottle on the 21st birthday because both were away at school for the event. They certainly have gotten plenty of bottles since then. I do remember one calling me on their 21st to tell me that his first legal drink was a glass of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. I told him to watch his budget!