Greg Davis
Gregory T. “Greg” Davis was born in May 1970 and grew up in Bourbon County, Kentucky. Although he would eventually become one of the youngest master distillers in Kentucky’s bourbon industry, his original career plans had nothing to do with whiskey. As a biology student at the University of Louisville, Davis initially intended to become an orthodontist. Yet while attending college, he began experimenting with making beer and wine, developing an interest in the biological processes responsible for alcoholic fermentation. He shared some of his homemade spirits with friends to positive reviews, and realized that he thoroughly enjoyed the undertaking. So after finishing his Bachelor's degree, he applied for a role in research and development at Brown-Forman. Davis claims that when interviewing for the position, he brought along a sample jar of “very well-made” moonshine that he had produced in his college dorm, and “the rest was history.” That experience set the foundation for the direction of Davis’s career.
After a short time at Brown-Forman, Davis attended the Siebel Institute in Chicago, where he further studied brewing science, then took a job at a large brewing operation in Nashville, Tennessee. These positions provided enhanced experience in fermentation management, production techniques, and the scientific principles underlying the manufacture of alcohol. In 1998, Davis returned to Bardstown and joined Constellation Brand’s Barton, where he began working alongside respected industry veteran master distiller Bill Friel. Friel had nearly four decades of distilling experience, and he soon became an important mentor in Davis's professional development. Their working relationship combined Davis's scientific education with Friel's extensive practical knowledge of traditional bourbon production. Another important influence at Barton was Glen Glaser, whose expertise helped Davis develop a deeper comprehension of industrial distillation. Those relationships promoted the technical foundation that would eventually carry Davis into more senior distilling positions.
At Barton, Davis became responsible for producing several established Kentucky bourbons, including Very Old Barton, Kentucky Tavern, and Ten High. His duties included overseeing operations and maintaining the flavor characteristics of established whiskeys. The position required balancing production efficiency with the traditional methods and quality standards that distinguished the company's bourbon portfolio. Yet one of Davis's most significant accomplishments at Barton involved developing Ridgemont Reserve 1792, a premium Kentucky straight bourbon introduced in 2004. Working alongside Friel, Davis helped develop and refine the whiskey which was intended to compete in the rapidly-growing premium bourbon market. The name commemorated 1792, the year Kentucky became the fifteenth state, and the bourbon was positioned as the most sophisticated expression within Barton's portfolio. By 2008, Davis had become master distiller for Constellation Spirits' bourbon operations. It was a position that made him one of the youngest individuals holding that title in Kentucky, and, coupled with his boyish countenance, earned him the good-natured nickname “baby distiller” among his older colleagues, even though by then he already possessed about seventeen years of industry experience.
But by 2010, Davis needed another challenge. It was then that he joined Maker's Mark in Loretto, Kentucky, assuming leadership responsibilities at one of America's best-known wheated bourbon distilleries. Unlike traditional bourbons that employ rye as their secondary flavoring grain, Maker's Mark uses soft red winter wheat alongside corn and malted barley. This grain selection produces the distinctive character associated with the brand, but requires careful management throughout all phases of production. Davis brought his experience in maintaining consistency while overseeing the production of whiskey with an established identity. During his tenure at Maker's Mark, Davis concentrated on maintaining the company's traditional production methods while accommodating increasing demand for its bourbon. He worked closely with the distillery's production personnel and developed a detailed understanding of the agricultural factors affecting whiskey quality. His approach extended to studying the corn and wheat supplied by local farming families, including the Mattingly and Peterson families. Understanding differences in growing conditions, grain quality, and seasonal crop characteristics became an important part of his production philosophy. He also worked to expand Maker's Mark's distilling capacity, and one of the most important projects during his tenure was the 2015 development, installation, and commissioning of a third still at the distillery.
Then, in September 2018, Beam Suntory announced a significant reorganization of its Kentucky distilling leadership and Davis was appointed director of distillation for Jim Beam's facilities in Clermont and Boston, Kentucky. The appointment placed Davis in a senior operational position overseeing production at two of the industry’s most important bourbon-making facilities. The move to Jim Beam brought Davis into an organization whose whiskey-making heritage extended to Jacob Beam's first commercial whiskey production more than 220 years prior. Its Small Batch Bourbon Collection, developed under legendary master distiller Booker Noe, included Booker's, Baker's, Knob Creek, and Basil Hayden's. Davis's appointment specifically emphasized his responsibility for that Small Batch Bourbon Collection, as well as for the flagship Jim Beam brand. His position complemented the responsibilities of the Beam family's master distillers, Fred Noe and Freddie Noe, whose work continued the company's multigenerational whiskey-making tradition.
Away from the distillery, Davis likes to spend his free time in lakeside recreation with his wife, Kathy, and their two sons. He an avid outdoorsman who loves hunting waterfowl and bass fishing, Davis is also on the Board of the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation. For many years, Davis had a beloved yellow retriever named “Cracker” who also enjoyed hunting with him, though it is not known if Cracker is still hunting with his lifelong partner. As to his own favorite cocktail, Greg enjoys bourbon on the rocks—two rocks in the summertime. Says Davis, “I can’t see myself doing anything else—bourbon is in my blood. It has always been such a huge part of my history.” Ever humble, Greg still describes himself as a “corn-fed” Kentucky native who insists that his “story” is not about him, but about those that came before him; those who endured in the industry when bourbon was looked upon as little more than a “sin” drink. Davis says that keeping that in mind, his motto has come to be, ‘Do everything you can to preserve what was put forth before you were here.’ As such, Davis gives an abundance of credit to those who mentored him, among whom he specifically names Friel and Glaser at Barton, the Samuels at Maker’s Mark and the Noes at Beam.
Greg Davis's career illustrates the importance of technical expertise and operational leadership in modern American bourbon production. His professional development brought together boldness, natural talent, scientific education, and practical experience. From his early work in fermentation research to his leadership responsibilities at Barton, Maker's Mark, and Jim Beam, Davis has contributed to the production and development of some of Kentucky's most recognizable bourbons. His achievements demonstrate that the continued success of established whiskey brands depends not only on the preservation of traditional recipes but also on the skilled distillers and production specialists responsible for maintaining their quality from one generation to the next.
Sources:
Whisky Magazine, “Young Guns,” 2008, whiskymag.com
The Drinks Business, “Q&A: Greg Davis, Maker’s Mark,” Alan Lodge, October 11, 2011, thedrinksbusiness.com
The Whiskey Reviewer, “Q&A With Master Distiller Greg Davis, Maker’s Mark,” January 6, 2017, whiskeyreviewer.com
Distillery Trail, “A Master Distiller Shift – Maker's Master Distiller to Jim Beam, Heaven Hill Master Distiller to Maker's Mark,” September 2018, distillerytrail.com
James B. Beam Distilling Company official website, beamdistilling.com
Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee
