our women of whiskey
MARIANNE EAVES
MASTER DISTILLER, WHISKEY EXPERT
The first female Master Distiller in Kentucky and an honoree on Forbes' "30 Under 30" list. She earned a degree in Chemical Engineering which, unbeknownst to her,
would eventually help lead her to become a Master Taster only 5 years into her career. Marianne’s expertise has led to the
development of new whiskey recipes for Jack Daniels and Woodford Reserve.
VICTORIA EADY BUTLER
MASTER BLENDER, UNCLE NEAREST
First female African-American Master Blender in history, Victoria is the great-grandaughter of Nathan Greene (aka Uncle Nearest, the man who taught Jack Daniels everything he knew about distilling).
PEGGY NOE STEVENS
MASTER BOURBON TASTER
One of only nine females inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame and the first female Master Bourbon Taster in the world, Peggy is legendary in the world of whiskey and bourbon. She's an accomplished author, co-founder of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail (which brings more than one million tourists annually to the state), and the founder of the Women's Bourbon Association (the first multi-city association for women in the industry). Peggy has been and continues to be a trailblazer in the industry.
LUCIA CREED
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, UNCLE NEAREST
One of the first all-female executive teams at any whiskey company in the US. Within the first 3 years of operation, Uncle Nearest won over 160 whiskey awards.
MEL HEIM
MASTER BLENDER, MASTER DISTILLER, FOUNDER & CO-CEO, BIG NOSE KATE;
Mel is the first female Master Distiller & Blender west of Mississippi and became one of the youngest at age 25 years old. She has held almost every position at a distillery including; weekend labeler, tour guide, head distiller, blender, head of product, executive VP operations, master blender and finally founder and Co-Ceo. But her proudest impact has come from working behind the scenes as a mentor and advocate for women and underrepresented communities in the spirits sector.
TRACIE FRANKLIN,
WHERSKY CO-FOUNDER
HEAD DISTILLER APPRENTICE, UNCLE NEAREST & JACK DANIELS INITIATIVE
A whiskey educator, marketing consultant, public speaker, bartender, and distillation apprentice, Tracie is also the co-founder of the marketing company WHERSKY. which creates inclusive and educational events for all whiskey drinkers. Recently, Tracie was selected as the first person to join the Uncle Nearest & Jack Daniels Advancement Initiative where she's studying leadership and distillation on a years-long journey to becoming a Master Distiller. She has also appeared as a spirit expert on local and national media such as the Today Show, Good Morning America, Forbes, Chilled, and Imbibe magazine (among others).
KATHARINE JERKENS
SVP OF SALES AND MARKETING, UNCLE NEAREST
Oversees all areas of sales, marketing, and distribution for the brand throughout the United States and around to the world.