How do bourbon distilleries keep critters away? Meet 9 Kentucky cats who get the job done
If you spend a week traveling through Kentucky's bourbon country, you're sure to see rick houses filled with bourbon barrels, pools of bubbling mash ... and quite a few cats.
Yes, cats are crucial staff members at several of our bourbon distilleries.
Last summer Netflix released its documentary "Inside the Mind of a Cat," which explored the behaviors and history of the bond between humans and felines. It also propelled distillery cats Friar John Claw and Vesper at Lindores Abbey Distillery in Scotland to international fame for their very impawtant roles greeting guests and keeping critters away from grains. We have several working cats right here in Kentucky, too.
So I asked a few of their humans in the bourbon industry to help these very valuable employees introduce themselves to the world.
Here are a few kitties you can meet as you travel the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Hartfield and Co.
320 Pleasant St., Paris
NAME: Waylon Jennings
AGE: Unknown
OCCUPATION: Second Floor Mouser
FAVORITE SLEEPING SPOT: I usually hide out in the ceiling of the second floor on top of one of the steel support beams.
FAVORITE FOOD: Wet food Fridays! Each cat gets a can of wet food on Fridays to celebrate another successful week. I am a huge fan of salmon pate’ and I also likes crunchy mice.
A FUN FACT ABOUT ME: One time I hid out on the second floor of the distillery for three months. No one saw me, but they kept feeding me and changing my litter box lol.
NAME: Rye
AGE: Unknown
OCCUPATION: Third Floor Mouse Control
FAVORITE SLEEPING SPOT: I love sleeping on top of a bag of Barley Malt.
FAVORITE FOOD: Wet Food Fridays, too! But I like the turkey giblets.
A FUN FACT ABOUT ME: Once I jumped out of the third floor window while chasing a bird. I landed on the street below and had no injuries!
NAME: Barley
AGE: Unknown
OCCUPATION: Third Floor Mouse Specialist
FAVORITE SLEEPING SPOT: Anywhere, Anytime
FAVORITE FOOD: I also enjoy Wet Food Fridays, but my favorite is chicken in gravy.
FUN FACT: I love interrupting tours. Every tour I run out, "meow" loudly and rub everyone’s legs. Everyone is here to see me after all.
Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.
120 N. 10th St, Louisville
NAME: Rye Meow
AGE: 91 cat years
OCCUPATION: Retired assassin (mouser), turned door greeter.
FAVORITE SLEEPING SPOT: In the lap or on the jacket of any guest. Especially the ones who seem to not like cats. Guess you could say I pre-fur playing hard to get. If you can’t find me, I am probably napping in my catio-home.
FAVORITE FOOD: My favorite food is Purina wet food. I don’t care if there is allergy medicine in it, it is pawsitively delicious.
A FUN FACT ABOUT ME: I have more Instagram followers than any of my human friends. Probably because my posts are purr-fect - @ryemeow_.
Log Still Distillery
225 Dee Head Road, New Haven
NAME: Ms. Jackson
AGE: 8 months
OCCUPATION: CEH (Chief Executive Hunter)
FAVORITE SLEEPING SPOT: Barn
FAVORITE FOOD: Tuna
A FUN FACT ABOUT ME: I’m a little escape artist and just had kittens, of whom I’m very protective.
NAME: Puppy
AGE: 10 months
OCCUPATION: Brand ambassador and model
FAVORITE SLEEPING SPOT: Barn
FAVORITE FOOD: Anything
A FUN FACT ABOUT ME: I’m the first distillery cat and Distiller and Chief Operating Officer Lynne Dant's "baby," the only way they were able to keep me is if by saying they had a puppy, hence my name “Puppy”
NAME: Mama
AGE: 1.5 years
OCCUPATION: Employee Relation Manager and Mom to all
FAVORITE SLEEPING SPOT: Barn
FAVORITE FOOD: Dry food
A FUN FACT ABOUT ME: I love looking after all the distillery cats, I make sure everyone is nice to each other and take care of them.
Neeley Family Distillery
4360 KY-1130, Sparta
NAME: Thumper
AGE: 7
OCCUPATION: Protector of grain, and distillery celebrity
FAVORITE SLEEPING SPOT: Beside the thumper attached to the still known as "ol' Browney."
FAVORITE FOOD: Mice and moles
A FUN FACT ABOUT ME: I’m named after the “thumper,” which is a distilling apparatus attached to our 600 gallon copper Vendome still.
Wilderness Trail Distillery
4095 Lebanon Road, Danville
NAME: Cooper
AGE: 6
OCCUPATION: Tour guide
FAVORITE SLEEPING SPOT: Anywhere sunny
FAVORITE FOOD: Mice
A FUN FACT ABOUT ME: I like to accompany all the guests to the rick house on tours, and I have my own merchandise available in the gift shop.
Features columnist Maggie Menderski occasionally writes about bourbon, but most of the time she focuses on what makes Louisville, Southern Indiana and Kentucky unique, wonderful, and occasionally, a little weird. If you've got something in your family, your town or even your closet that fits that description — she wants to hear from you. Say hello at mmenderski@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4053. Follow along on Instagram and Twitter @MaggieMenderski
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries often have working cats
