A FRONT-ROW SEAT
One day the pandemic will be part of our legacy. It has been comforting in these difficult times to look to the Kentucky Bourbon industry, which has had staying power through all kinds of adversity. The history of this storied sector holds clues not only for how to survive, but also for how to use the lessons learned in difficult times to prepare for a thriving future. Buffalo Trace Distillery has been through fires, floods and more and has become one of the powerhouses of the industry.
“I wish that I could be one of these folks who got a chance for time not to be a factor in my life,” says world-renowned Buffalo Trace tour guide Freddie Johnson. “When I look at Granddad I think about Colonel Blanton, when I look at Dad I think about Elmer T. Lee and Ronnie Eddens and Leonard Riddle, who recently passed away. And then I think about me today, and I think about Harlen Wheatley, and I’m a hybrid of Elmer, Gary Geyhart, and Harlen Wheatley. I’ve been so blessed to have actually been at Buffalo Trace with three different living master distillers.”
Buffalo Trace Distillery has been named Visitor Attraction of the Year by Icons of Whisky multiple times, and Freddie himself was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2018. Freddie’s family has
