Brown-Forman names first female master distiller for Woodford Reserve bourbon

Janet Patton
·2 min read
1

Woodford Reserve, Brown-Forman’s premium bourbon, named Elizabeth McCall its master distiller, making her the first woman to earn the title and only the third in the brand’s history.

Chris Morris, the former master distiller, will assume an emeritus role at the Louisville-based, publicly traded spirits company.

McCall has been in training for the role for over a decade and will oversee quality and innovation efforts and bring new Woodford Reserve products to market, according to a news release from the company.

McCall will lead Woodford Reserve’s special releases, including the Master’s Collection and the Distillery Series, according to the company.

Elizabeth McCall has been named master distiller for Woodford Reserve, Brown-Forman’s premium bourbon brand, succeeding Chris Morris. Morris will remain involved with the brand as master distiller emeritus.
Elizabeth McCall has been named master distiller for Woodford Reserve, Brown-Forman’s premium bourbon brand, succeeding Chris Morris. Morris will remain involved with the brand as master distiller emeritus.

“I am humbled to stand upon the foundation built by Chris Morris, who is one of the most well-known and respected master distillers in the world,” McCall said in a statement. “I look forward to following in his footsteps and crafting the world’s finest bourbon.”

Morris will remain part of the Woodford team, according to the company. McCall will become the public face of the prestigious whiskey brand, which is the presenting sponsor the Kentucky Derby.

“I am proud of — and confident in — Elizabeth’s ability to maintain the award-winning flavor profile of the Woodford Reserve family into the next generation,” Morris said in the news release. “Her inquisitive nature bodes well for those who have come to expect innovative flavor concepts from our Master’s Collection and Distillery Series offerings. The future couldn’t be more promising for Woodford Reserve.”

Elizabeth McCall succeeds Chris Morris as master distiller at Woodford Reserve, Brown-Forman's premium bourbon. Morris will stay on in an emeritus role.
Elizabeth McCall succeeds Chris Morris as master distiller at Woodford Reserve, Brown-Forman's premium bourbon. Morris will stay on in an emeritus role.

McCall joined Brown-Forman, Woodford Reserve’s parent company, in 2009 as a member of the research & development department. She began her career setting up tasting panels to ensure quality and consistency with the company’s products.

She is the second generation of her family to work in the spirits industry, following in her mother’s footsteps, after earning her master’s degree from the University of Louisville, according to the release.

McCall and her husband, Matt, live in Louisville and have one child with another on the way.