Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame to Induct 2026 Class

Seven inductees will join the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, including noted Bourbon author Fred Minnick and Wilderness Trail Distillery co-founders Shane Baker and Dr. Pat Heist. A blue-ribbon committee of industry leaders selected the inductees following a comprehensive application and review process, and the honorees will be inducted at a ceremony on September 14 in Louisville.

This year’s class includes the late W.L. Lyons Brown Sr. and the late George Garvin Brown II. Both led Brown-Forman during the heyday of Bourbon, and built Brown-Forman into the largest Kentucky-based distilling company following Prohibition. Former Kentucky state Senator John Schickel was selected for his legislative advocacy on behalf of the Bourbon industry, including alcohol law reforms that helped strengthen the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and support craft distilling.

Kentucky Distillers Association president Eric Gregory is this year’s recipient of the Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award. President since 2008, Gregory has been instrumental in transforming the industry through legislative reforms, expansion of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and unifying distillers of all sizes to create a shared vision for the industry.

Minnick was honored for his best-selling books that helped elevate Bourbon into modern culture, along with his busy schedule of podcasts, live events, and philanthropic work. Baker and Heist were honored for their work not only with Wilderness Trail, but with Ferm Solutions, a fermentation consulting firm that has worked with many of the state’s distillers to modernize their production practices while preserving craftsmanship.

Candidates for the Hall of Fame are submitted by KDA member distilleries and the KDA Board of Directors. This year’s nominees were reviewed by a committee that included five previous winners of the Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award: Jimmy Russell, Bill Samuels, Jr., Max Shapira, Chris Morris, and Ken Lewis. Other members of the committee include Fred Noe, KDA Board Chair Gigi DaDan, and Andrea Wilson.

The class will be inducted on September 14 at a private ceremony at the Marriott Louisville East in Louisville.