LOUISVILLE, Ky. (February 17, 2025) – The Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky Awards announced their 2025 American Icons of Whisky honorees on Thursday, February 13, and Heaven Hill Distillery, one of the largest independent family-owned distilleries in the world and two-time winner of Distiller of the Year, is proud to celebrate an extraordinary performance this year, securing multiple top awards across a range of categories. These prestigious accolades celebrate the dedication, craftsmanship, and innovation that define Heaven Hill’s legacy in American whiskey.
Awards include:
- World’s Best Bourbon: Old Fitzgerald Very Very Special 2024 Edition
- Best Kentucky Bourbon: Old Fitzgerald Very Very Special 2024 Edition
- Best American Rye: Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
- Master Distiller of the Year: Conor O’Driscoll
- Sustainability Officer of the Year: Rachel Nally
- Distillery Manager of the Year: Riley Henderson (FEW Spirits)
- Visitor Attraction of the Year: Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience for the new Five Brother’s Kitchen
- Visitor Attraction Manager of the Year: Josh Hollifield
- Brand Ambassador of the Year for World Whiskey: Allison Parc (Brenne)
- Brand Ambassador of the Year for American Whiskey – Highly Commended – Benji Purslow
- Brand Innovator of the Year – Highly Commended – FEW Spirits
“I am incredibly proud of our team at Heaven Hill for our wins at the World Whiskies Awards. These accolades are a testament to the hard work, dedication, and craftsmanship that each member of our team puts into every bottle we produce,” said Co-President of Heaven Hill Brands Kate Latts. “At Heaven Hill, we’re committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation while honoring the time-honored traditions of whiskey-making. These achievements reflect not only our passion for the craft, but also our collective drive to continue elevating the whiskey experience for our consumers around the world.”
The title of World Best Bourbon and Best Kentucky Bourbon were given to the Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Very Very Special 2024 Edition released in honor of the 25th Anniversary of Heaven Hill’s acquisition of the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville. The Bernheim Distillery became the lifeblood for Heaven Hill’s survival following the catastrophic fire which destroyed the original distillery in 1996. Heaven Hill is proud to have preserved the historic Old Fitzgerald brand which dates back to the 1880s.
Among the esteemed awards, Heaven Hill Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll was named Master Distiller of the Year, recognizing his two-decade career of excellence in whiskey production, innovation, and sustainability efforts. Since joining Heaven Hill in 2019, he has led distillation for the company’s American Whiskey portfolio, overseeing operations at the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville and spearheading the development of the soon-to-open $200 million Heaven Hill Springs Distillery in Bardstown. Beyond production, Conor has strengthened Heaven Hill’s brand through industry advocacy, education, and community engagement. His commitment to excellence and forward-thinking approach continues to set new standards in American whiskey production.
Sustainability Officer of the Year was awarded to Heaven Hill’s Director of Environment & Sustainability, Rachel Nally, recognizing her leadership in driving the company’s environmental initiatives. Rachel has spearheaded Heaven Hill’s 2030 Environmental Sustainability Strategy, leading efforts in water conservation, emissions reduction, and waste management. Under her leadership, Heaven Hill secured two of the EPA’s first-ever ENERGY STAR certifications for its distilleries and was named 2023 Sustainable Distiller of the Year. She was also appointed to the Board of Directors for the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center, further solidifying her role as an industry leader. Through her commitment to sustainability, Rachel continues to set new standards for environmental responsibility in the whiskey industry.
The Distillery Manager of the Year award went to Riley Henderson, Head of Operations at FEW Spirits in Evanston, IL. In the almost decade he has spent at FEW, Riley has advanced from Assistant Distiller to Lead Distiller and now, as Head of Operations he leads innovation for the brand’s flavorful Bourbon and Rye lines. Riley is passionate about encouraging creativity among his team at FEW and takes great pride in producing craft spirits. FEW Spirits was also given the designation of Highly Commended in the Brand Innovator of the Year Category.
Visitor Attraction of the Year was awarded to Five Brothers Bar & Kitchen at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, for their exceptional grand opening this year paying tribute to the company’s founding heritage through delicious food and a hospitable ambiance. The bar and kitchen are named in honor of the five Shapira brothers who founded Heaven Hill in 1935.
Josh Hollifield was named Visitor Attraction Manager of the Year, recognizing his strategic leadership and vision at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience (HHBE). Over the past year, he led the opening of Five Brothers Bar & Kitchen, blending Southern hospitality with bourbon heritage. Beyond HHBE, Josh has played a vital role in Kentucky’s tourism industry, serving in leadership positions with the Kentucky Travel Industry Association, the Bardstown-Nelson County Tourism Commission, and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.
Brand Ambassador of the Year for World Whiskey went to Allison Parc founder of Brenne French Single Malt Whisky. In 2017 and 2018, Allison was named World Whisky Brand Ambassador, USA of the Year by Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky, becoming the only woman to receive the award at that time. Additionally, Brenne received two World Whiskies awards in 2016 and 2017, furthering the global recognition of this unique taste experience within the single malt category.
Benji Purslow was named Highly Commended in the American Whiskey Brand Ambassador of the Year category, for his exceptional efforts in educating and promoting Heaven Hill’s whiskey portfolio across Europe.
The World Whiskies Awards are the global awards selecting the very best in all the internationally recognized styles, awarding and promoting the world’s best whiskies to consumers and trade across the globe. In 2023 and 2024, Heaven Hill has been honored to win Distiller of the Year, along with being named Sustainable Distiller of the Year in 2023. Previous wins also include National Spirits Special Lynn House and National Brand Ambassador Bernie Lubbers recognized as American Whiskey Brand Ambassadors of the Year. In 2022 the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience won Visitor Attraction of the Year along with Director of Kentucky Visitor Experiences Jeff Crowe winning Visitor Attraction Manager of the Year.
ABOUT HEAVEN HILL BRANDS: Founded in 1935, Bardstown, KY -based Heaven Hill Brands (www.heavenhill.com) is one of the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and led spirits producers and marketers and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon the company is a 2024 Best Managed Company as appointed by Deloitte Private and the Wall Street Journal. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes Heaven Hill, Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Larceny, Old Fitzgerald, and Henry McKenna Bourbons; Rittenhouse Rye Whisky; Deep Eddy Vodka; Admiral Nelson’s Rum; Black Velvet Canadian Whisky; Lunazul Tequila; HPNOTIQ Liqueur; Carolans Irish Cream Liqueur, plus the Samson & Surrey portfolio.
