David Steven Pickerell (August 14, 1956 – November 1, 2018) was an American distiller. He was considered the "Johnny Appleseed" or "founding father" of craft distilling.
Early life and education[]
Pickerell was born on August 14, 1956, in Fairborn, Ohio.[1] His father, Richard Pickerell, was a postmaster.[1]
He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1974 to 1978, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry.[2] He played on the 1974 Army Cadets football team his freshman year.[2] After graduating, he served 11 years in the United States Army.[1] He received a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Louisville while in the army.[1]
Career[]
After leaving the army in 1989, Pickerell became a chemical engineer and distilling consultant at Ro-Tech in Louisville, Kentucky.[2] In 1994, he joined Maker's Mark bourbon as a corporate vice president and master distiller and was with the company for 14 years.[1][3] Over Pickerell's 14 years at Maker's Mark, annual sales increased from 175,000 cases to nearly one million.[1]
After leaving Maker's Mark, he established a consulting firm called Oak View Spirits, where he advised over 100 other distilleries.[4] His wide-ranging influence in the industry earned him the sobriquets "Founding Father of the Craft Distilling Movement" and the "Johnny Appleseed" of craft distilling.[2][4][5] He worked with WhistlePig, a small manufacturer of rye whiskey,[1] and was part of the group that restored George Washington's distillery in Mount Vernon, Virginia.[3] Other distilleries he worked with include Watershed Distillery, Copper Fox Distillery and Garrison Brothers Distillery.[2]
In 2018, he worked with rock band Metallica to release a product called Blackened American Whiskey.[6] The aging process includes the application of low-frequency sound waves to the brew which broadcast the band's songs. According to the band, each run of 5,000 bottles has a different playlist.[7]
Personal life[]
Pickerell married Jeannette Harvie, with whom he had four children. He died of hypertensive heart failure on November 1, 2018, in San Francisco, California.[1]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Dave Pickerell, Master of Whiskey and Rye, Is Dead at 62" (in en). 8 November 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/08/obituaries/dave-pickerell-dead.html. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Tramazzo, John C. (2018) (in en). Bourbon and Bullets: True Stories of Whiskey, War, and Military Service. U of Nebraska Press. pp. 159–166. ISBN 9781640121034. https://books.google.com/books?id=x6lvDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA165.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Bourbon Industry Pioneer, Legend and Master Distiller Dave Pickerell Has Died". Distillery Trail. 2 November 2018. https://www.distillerytrail.com/blog/bourbon-industry-pioneer-legend-and-master-distiller-dave-pickerell-has-died/. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Master Distiller Dave Pickerell Dies at 62 Wine Enthusiast Magazine". 6 November 2018. https://www.winemag.com/2018/11/06/master-distiller-dave-pickerell-dies-62/. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ↑ "Meeting Mr. Whiskey – Garden & Gun". 4 February 2014. https://gardenandgun.com/articles/gg-interview-mr-whiskey/.
- ↑ "Metallica and David Pickerell Releasing Blackened American Whiskey". 4 September 2018. http://www.gobourbon.com/blackened-american-whiskey-blend-metallica/. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ↑ "Metallica Just Made a 'Blackened' Whiskey Whose Aging Process Involves Being Blasted by Subwoofers". 4 September 2018. https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/a22970522/metallica-new-whiskey-blackened/.
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