Heaven Hill has hired Conor O’Driscoll as their new Master Distiller. He will be only the fifth person to hold the title in the distillery’s 84-year history.
O’Driscoll has been distilling for 15 years, beginning as an operations manager at Brown-Forman Distillery in Shively, KY. After 5 years there, he moved to sister distillery Woodford Reserve to oversee operations, and eventually to run a warehouse and processing expansion project. In 2017, O’Driscoll joined the Henderson family to help lead operations at Angel’s Envy Distillery in Louisville.
Now, he’s coming on board for another family business as he takes the lead for the Shapiras at Heaven Hill. “I’m very proud to be a part of Heaven Hill’s storied whiskey legacy,” said O’Driscoll in a press release. “The trust of the Shapira family is humbling. And I am excited and honored to carry on the traditions of the Master Distillers that helped establish Heaven Hill’s place in the industry. I am especially honored to carry on the legacy of Parker Beam, whose expectations for quality and consistency live on today.”
“Conor is among the finest young distillers in our business and we could not be more thrilled to have him at the forefront of distilling for our historic portfolio,” said Max L. Shapira, President of Heaven Hill. “In his 15 years in the industry, he’s played a key role in growing production and innovation, with an expectation of quality and a respect for craftsmanship. In that regard, he is a perfect fit for us.”
O’Driscoll’s immediate duties with Heaven Hill will be leading the distilling and warehousing teams at the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, the largest single-site Bourbon distillery.
