PR87421

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky., Dec. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

It is with profound sadness that Michter's announces the passing yesterday of

Master Distiller Emeritus Willie Pratt.

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Born in 1942 to a school teacher mother and a coal miner father living in the

town of Hazard in Eastern Kentucky, Willie set out to Louisville to seek

employment at age 20. He joined the great distiller Brown-Forman, which paid

for his education as he attended evening classes and earned his degree from

University of Louisville. Willie worked over four decades in a variety of

positions at Brown-Forman, where he served for a period of years on the

company's committee studying distillation, cooperage, and aging conditions.

At age 65, Willie retired from Brown-Forman, but his passion for the bourbon

industry led him back to work. In 2007 Willie joined Michter's as its Master

Distiller. At the start of his tenure at the company, he oversaw Michter's

production program which was conducted at another Kentucky distillery before

Michter's could afford its own brick and mortar facility. Eventually Willie

oversaw the design and the building of the state-of-the-art Michter's Shively

Distillery. When Willie decided to work a reduced schedule, he turned over the

Michter's Master Distiller position to Pam Heilmann, who was eventually

succeeded by Dan McKee. Willie continued to serve as the company's Master

Distiller Emeritus and remained actively involved in Michter's production until

his passing.

In 2017 Willie was inducted into The Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame. "To work

with Willie and to have him as a friend was a tremendous gift. When the

challenges seemed overwhelming, that's when Willie's leadership would shine

through. He was a paradigm of strength and courage," said Michter's President

Joseph J. Magliocco. Laser focused on quality, Willie was good naturedly

referred to as "Dr. No" by the Michter's salespeople for his refusing to

release whiskey for bottling until he deemed it just right, even though the

whiskey may have been significantly older than the age statement on the label.

Willie was respected and beloved by the Michter's team he helped to build.

"Times like this make me realize how fortunate I was to be able to learn from

one of the greats in the industry. I'm going to miss standing back in the

distillery with Willie, talking about making whiskey and listening to his life

stories," said Michter's Master Distiller Dan McKee. Michter's Master of

Maturation Andrea Wilson commented, "It is not often in your career you get to

sit and listen to someone with over 50 years of experience in this industry who

poured his heart and soul into every single detail.  Making bourbon was not a

job to Willie, it was pure joy." Michter's Master Distiller Emerita Pam

Heilmann said, "It was my pleasure and the opportunity of a lifetime to work

with Willie. The years we had together enhanced my learning and grew my

knowledge of the bourbon industry by virtue of his wisdom and tutelage."

Willie's hobbies included fishing in Florida, riding motorcycles, and flying

his Cherokee four-seater. He is survived by his beloved wife Patsy, his

children, his grandchildren, his great grandchildren and his dog Sophie.

Contact: Joseph J. Magliocco

+1 502-774-2300 x580

jmagliocco@michters.com

SOURCE: Michter's Distillery