Larry Ebersold

“Godfather of Rye Whiskey”

The “Godfather of Rye Whiskey”, Larry Ebersold, was born in 1950 to Edwin J. and Elizabeth “Betty” Ebersold. Over his illustrious 38-year career as a distiller and distillery consultant, Ebersold has long been known as the “go-to” person for a would-be distiller, particularly in the realm of rye-based spirits. Larry holds a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Louisville, from which he graduated in 1972.

After graduating from U of L, Larry started working at a small distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, which at the time was under the ownership of Seagrams, but now is the main facility in the enormous MGP/Luxco family. Larry became the Master Distiller there and held that title for over 20 years. At that time, Seagrams distilled many different whiskies to produce their famous whiskey blends such as Seagrams 5 Crown American Whiskey and Seagrams 7 Crown American Whiskey. Since the plant was typically producing spirits for blending, they were typically high rye content with strong flavors, so that the character would carry through in the blends. This philosophy matched the blending plan of Seagram’s sibling plant in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, at the time, which is now the Four Roses Distillery.

In the early 1990s, Larry was tasked with coming up with a new high-rye whiskey, so bold in taste that a small amount of it would come through in the blending along with grain neutral spirits and other added whiskies. At first, he tried 100% malted rye, and Larry has said that he believes that batch to have been some of the best he ever produced; unfortunately, the cost of production was very high, and the accounting department requested him to never produce it again. In time, he landed on what today is the very well-known 95% rye and 5% malted barley. This mash bill has, in recent years, become immensely popular in many rye whiskies with other brands as well, and has become the inspiration for several rye variations and experimental blends.

In January 2001, French spirits behemoth Pernod Ricard purchased the Lawrenceburg, Indiana distillery and renamed it Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana (LDI). Larry continued working at the distillery as the Master Distiller under LDI. During the LDI years at the distillery, the focus changed from blended whiskies to contract distilling for other companies, which continues today. Larry retired in 2010, shortly before the distillery was again sold, this time to Midwest Grain Products of Indiana, or MGP (now MGP/Luxco). Except during Prohibition, the LDI/MGP plant has now been in constant production since 1847.

After retirement, Ebersold founded a consulting service, Larry Ebersold, LLC., providing services of distillery process optimization. He has provided consulting services for many very well-known distilleries such as New Riff, Sagamore Spirit, Rabbit Hole, Tarnished Truth, Smooth Ambler, and Boone County Distilling. Larry also worked with Steve Nally at Bardstown Bourbon Company, helping to develop many of their mashbills.

The whiskies that Larry produced at the Lawrenceburg, Indiana distillery have gone on to be the backbone behind numerous brands in the industry, such as Bulleit Rye, High West Rye, as well as countless bourbons. Larry also assisted his protégé and fellow famous MGP Master Distiller alumni Greg Metze, who continued the traditions begun by Larry.

In 2021, Larry was awarded one of 2 Impact awards from the American Whiskey Convention; the other Impact Award went to his protégé, Greg Metze. Perhaps most illustrious, in 2025, Ebersold was inducted into the class of 2025 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame.

Now 75, Larry still lives in Louisville and does his best to remain retired, despite his booming consulting business.

Contributed by Daniel Snyder, Champaign, Illinois