Jackie Zykan
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Jackie Zykan built her career in the American whiskey industry through an unusual combination of scientific education, restaurant experience, and a highly developed ability to evaluate spirits. Zykan studied biology and chemistry while working her way through college as a bartender. Her employment in the hospitality industry began with entry-level restaurant positions, including dishwasher, hostess, busser, and server, before advancing to bartending, then management. Although she explored other professional possibilities, including medicine and interior design, the beverage industry ultimately became her career. Her scientific education provided a foundation for understanding the chemical composition of spirits, while bartending gave her practical experience with flavor, aroma, balance, and consumer preferences.
After relocating to Louisville, Kentucky, Zykan became increasingly involved in the city's bourbon culture. A friend introduced her to Old Forester, beginning an association with the brand that would eventually define the next stage of her career. She developed her professional skills through restaurant beverage programs, cocktail development, and promotional assignments for whiskey producers. Her work brought her into contact with several established Kentucky bourbon companies, including Four Roses, Heaven Hill, and Woodford Reserve.
In 2010, Zykan advanced to beverage director for Falls City Hospitality, a Louisville restaurant group operating several establishments. The position gave her responsibility for developing and supervising beverage programs across multiple locations. She continued accepting additional assignments involving cocktail development, spirits education, and promotional events. These activities expanded her professional relationships within Kentucky's whiskey industry and established her reputation for an exceptionally discriminating palate.
One particularly noteworthy demonstration of her sensory abilities involved identifying different vodka samples during a blind tasting. Her reputation for distinguishing subtle differences among spirits helped attract attention from established producers. By the middle of the decade, she had developed a combination of scientific knowledge, practical bartending experience, and communication skills that suited a position representing a major bourbon brand. Brown-Forman provided that opportunity in 2015. At that point, the company was investing in a major revitalization of the Old Forester brand, including the development of a new distillery and visitor experience on Louisville's historic Whiskey Row. Zykan joined the organization during this period of renewed investment and expansion. Initially hired for a brand ambassador and mixology-oriented position, she became responsible for communicating Old Forester's history, production methods, and whiskey characteristics to consumers and industry professionals. The position allowed her to apply her bartending background while developing a more detailed understanding of bourbon production. She quickly identified an opportunity to advance beyond brand representation into sensory evaluation and product development.
Zykan informed company leadership that she intended to become Old Forester's Master Taster before the new distillery opened. Working with her supervisor, she established a professional development plan and completed the necessary training within approximately one year. Her responsibilities subsequently expanded to include evaluating whiskey, assisting with blending decisions, conducting educational programs, and participating in product development. The appointment made her one of the most recognizable women working in Kentucky bourbon. Zykan worked closely with the characteristics that distinguish Old Forester's whiskeys, including the interaction of grain composition, fermentation, distillation, barrel maturation, and blending.
The opening of Old Forester's new Whiskey Row distillery in 2018 marked an important milestone in the brand's revitalization. Zykan's work increasingly involved premium expressions, including the annual Birthday Bourbon releases and the company's Single Barrel selection program. She also conducted educational programs and tastings, explaining how barrel location, maturation conditions, and blending decisions influence the finished whiskey. Her ability to translate technical information into understandable descriptions became an important part of Old Forester's consumer education efforts. Then, in March 2021, Zykan achieved a particularly significant professional milestone with the introduction of Old Forester's 117 Series. Named for the distillery's address at 117 West Main Street in Louisville, the series explored distinctive characteristics of bourbon maturation through limited releases. Its inaugural expression, High Angels' Share, used barrels that had experienced unusually high evaporation losses during aging. Zykan's signature appeared on the label, making her the first woman in Old Forester's more than 150-year history to receive that distinction.
On June 20, 2022, Brown-Forman announced that Zykan has expressed her desire to leave Old Forester, with her final day scheduled for July 1. After seven years with the company, she had participated in the revitalization of one of America's most historic bourbon brands and helped expand its reputation for premium whiskey. Her next undertaking would provide an opportunity to apply her blending experience to an independent whiskey business. She joined Royce Neeley of Kentucky's Neeley Family Distillery, along with Nate Winegar and Matt Dankner of Colorado's 5280 Whiskey Society, to establish a new brand, Hidden Barn Whiskey. The new company announced its first release in July 2022, introducing Hidden Barn Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Its inaugural small-batch expression combined seven barrels distilled by Royce Neeley and blended by Zykan, who assumed the role of Master Blender. Unlike her previous position, which concentrated on the established Old Forester portfolio, Hidden Barn allowed her to explore different whiskey styles and blending approaches through small-batch production. The venture united her scientific background, years of sensory evaluation, and extensive experience communicating the characteristics of American whiskey. Zykan's departure from Brown-Forman marked the completion of a particularly successful chapter in her career. From the restaurant bar to the blending room, Zykan's career had become an example of how technical knowledge, practical experience, and an exceptional palate could contribute to the continuing development of American bourbon.
Sources:
Spirited Drinks, “Inside Old Forester With Master Taster Jackie Zykan”, 2022, spiriteddrinks.com
Master of Malt, “Five Minutes With… Jackie Zykan, Master Taster for Old Forester”, Adam O'Connell, November 19, 2019, masterofmalt.com
VinePair, “From Mixologist to Master Taster, Old Forester's Jackie Zykan Is Officially a Major Name in Bourbon”,Tim McKirdy, May 24, 2021, vinepair.com
Old Forester Distillery official website, oldforester.com
American Whiskey Magazine, “Old Forester's Master Taster Jackie Zykan to Step Away”, June 20, 2022, americanwhiskeymag.com
American Whiskey Magazine, “Hidden Barn: Jackie Zykan's New Brand Revealed”, Maggie Kimberl, July 5, 2022, americanwhiskeymag.com
Breaking Bourbon, “Hidden Barn Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Honors Process, Quality and Creativity”, July 18, 2022, breakingbourbon.com
OurWhisky Foundation, “Interview: Jackie Zykan, Hidden Barn Whiskey”, Millie Milliken, July 26, 2022, ourwhiskyfoundation.org
Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee
