WhiskyFest Chicago

Kyle Merklein

Master Distiller | Holladay Distillery

Kyle Merklein has been the Holladay Distillery’s Master Distiller since 2016. He is
Kansas-born and raised and earned his biological and agricultural engineering
degrees from Kansas State, with a Master’s research focus on the optimization of
various fermentation systems. He is currently working toward a Ph.D. in industrial
engineering as well. Kyle is passionate about bourbon - both making it and
drinking it - and notes that he probably thinks about time more than most,
knowing that what he does today is not what is most convenient now but rather
what will be best for six or ten years in the future. “If you produce a high quality
distillate using time-tested traditions, place the distillate in a well-made barrel,
and then store the barrel in a rickhouse for several years - good things will
happen. That line of thinking is how I try to approach all areas of life beyond just
bourbon.”

Kyle Merklein’s background and education in engineering and fermentation led
him to find his professional path in the distilled spirits business. As a Master
Distiller, Kyle brings his passion for the bourbon industry to production, and the
evidence is clear in the taste of Holladay Bourbon.
Born and raised in Phillipsburg, Kansas, Kyle has been a Kansas resident for his
entire life. Upon graduating high school, he attended Kansas State University
where he earned a B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering and an M.S. in Biological
and Agricultural Engineering with research focused on optimization of various
fermentation systems. After completing these programs, Merklein settled in
Atchison, Kansas where he currently resides with his wife and two children.
Kyle’s first professional role came after he completed his undergraduate studies.
He worked as a Production Shift Manager for Cargill making Biodiesel and refining

Glycerin. In this role, he had the opportunity to put his academic knowledge of
food safety and troubleshooting operational inefficiencies into practice.
While working towards his Master’s Degree, Merklein was employed by RBC
Medical Innovations as a Systems Test Engineer where he learned the product
development process and tested medical devices to ensure they worked properly.
His next shift opened the door for a career in the distilled spirits industry. Kyle’s
interest in the industry led him to MGP Ingredients in Atchison, Kansas where he
gained experience as a Production Shift Manager. In this role, he was exposed to
the production process of beverage alcohol for the first time with neutral grain
spirits and gin production. This experience assured him he had met his match with
the industry.

In 2016, Merklein joined the team at the Holladay Distillery as the Distillery/R&D
Manager. Focusing on bourbon and new product development from the
beginning, Kyle’s experience and talent in this area made him an obvious fit for
his next move, Master Distiller. 

When asked what he enjoys most about his career, Kyle shared that he has always
been drawn to technical challenges, so he thoroughly enjoys working through the
complexities involved with making bourbon and other spirits.  Between
troubleshooting a processing issue to analyzing flavor compounds on a GC/MS
Chromatogram, there is always a new challenge to explore. The career is never
boring, and he loves that. He also really enjoys bourbon on a personal level. 

A personal concept Merklein lives by is shaped around the measure of time. His
mindset is centered around ensuring that what he does today is not what is most
convenient now, but rather what is best for six or ten years in the future.  While
he knows he can’t predict the future, he knows that certain behaviors and actions
will compound and produce good results over time. If you produce a high quality
distillate using time tested traditions, place the distillate in a well made barrel,
and then store in a rickhouse for several years, good things will happen. That line
of thinking is how he approaches all areas of life beyond just bourbon.  

Kyle is currently working towards a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from
Mississippi State University where his focus will be in data analytics and
operations research. His schedule keeps him busy, but when he’s not working or
studying, you can find him spending time with his family or enjoying his craft with
a glass of bourbon neat in hand.