He’s Doing Something Right

Wild Turkey maker reaches 60th year in business

Jimmy Russell strolled into a roomful of tourists, and soon the patriarch of Kentucky bourbon was surrounded by fans, posing for pictures and autographing bottles. The man behind Wild Turkey even took a turn as barkeeper, pouring samples of amber whiskey at the distillery’s visitors’ center.

When Brian Leathers of Hammond, Louisiana, told him he’d been drinking Wild Turkey for years, Russell replied: “I’ve made every drop.”

That was no idle barroom boast. The 79-year-old master distiller known as “Jimmy” to everyone in the bourbon industry has indeed been responsible for every drop of Wild Turkey produced for generations of consumers.

Celebrating his 60th year in the business, Russell has overseen production of about 3 million barrels of bourbon as Wild Turkey’s master distiller – enough to fill about 20 million cases, according to the brand’s parent company, Italian-based Gruppo Campari.

Man, read the whole thing, that’s a cool career story right there. Also because it happens to be my go-to everyday bourbon.

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2 Responses to He’s Doing Something Right

  1. Archer says:

    Yep, definitely doing something right.

    If you ask me, it’s that he’s still personally involved in the business. He’s a hands-on owner. He’s not above shaking hands with and serving drinks to his customers himself.

    If you give up too much to automation, and delegate too much to others who may not share your values, the product and business start to go downhill. It’s good to see a successful businessman who hasn’t fallen into that trap. 🙂

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