Lisa Wicker joins Garrard County Distilling Co. as its first master distiller
Premium spirits company Staghorn has named former Widow Jane whiskey maker, Lisa Wicker, as master distiller of its new distillery in Kentucky.
In her new role, Wicker will manage all aspects of whiskey production, including grain selection, fermentation, distillation, blending and ageing for the company's owned whiskey brands, including All Nations, as well as contract-distilled whiskey.
With the whiskey currently in production still maturing, Wicker will initially focus on Staghorn's All Nations brand, selecting and blending whiskey from the company's 17,000+ sourced-barrel inventory. There are plans underway for Garrard County Distilling Co. to announce several new brands under Wicker’s leadership in 2024.
With over 20 years of distilling and winemaking, Wicker was most recently the president and master distiller of Widow Jane Distillery in Brooklyn, NY, where she worked for nearly six years. Prior to Widow Jane she held lead distilling roles at Lexington Brewing & Distilling Company, Samson & Surrey, Limestone Branch and Starlight Distillery. She has also served as a consulting distiller at George Washington's Distillery.
Wicker is also currently a mentor for the OurWhisky Foundation, paired with Kelly Bodnar of the Asbury Park Distilling Company in Matawan, NJ.
"I am so grateful to the team at Staghorn for this amazing opportunity to lead the whiskey making team at this beautiful new facility," said Wicker of her new role. "Though this is one of the largest distilleries in Kentucky, my focus will remain on creating whiskeys using the hands-on, traditional craft disciplines I have honed over the past several decades."
Ray Franklin, founder of Staghorn, said: "When we were looking for a head distiller at Garrard County Distilling Co., we wanted someone with deep experience in time-honoured distilling methods but also someone with an eye for what's next. This made Lisa our obvious first choice.”
With distilling operations commencing in January 2024, Garrard County Distilling Co. is capable of producing 150,000 barrels of whiskey a year. Located 30 minutes south of Lexington, the 210-acre site includes the 50,000+sqft distillery, as well as two 20,000sqft rickhouses, with plans for a total of 24 ageing warehouses by 2030, each holding nearly 25,000 barrels.
A visitor centre with tasting room and restaurant is scheduled to open by the end of this year. It is also the first commercial distillery in the formerly dry county since the 1800s.
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