This woman was named Master Distiller at Woodford Reserve. What that means for the brand

After a decade in training, Elizabeth McCall has been named Master Distiller at Woodford Reserve, only the third in the brand's 26-year history. McCall succeeds her mentor, Chris Morris, who will assume the role of Master Distiller Emeritus — the highest honor one can achieve as a distiller.

McCall said she is deeply honored to take the baton from her mentor and friend, whom she called a legend in the spirits industry.

"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. "I look forward to following in his footsteps and crafting the world’s finest bourbon."

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McCall's rise began with an entry-level position at Brown-Forman, Woodford Reserve's parent company.

In 2009, after graduating from the Univesity of Louisville with a degree in psychology and no immediate job prospects, a family friend suggested McCall apply for an open position at Brown-Forman. As a member of the Research & Development department, McCall began her career setting up tasting panels to ensure quality and consistency with the company's products.

At the time, McCall knew almost nothing about bourbon, the company's flagship product but quickly became adept at detecting the distinct flavors and characteristics that make up each of the company's carefully crafted spirits.

In 2015, McCall became a Master Taster and Morris began mentoring her to take over as Master Distiller. McCall became Woodford Reserve Assistant Master Distiller five years ago this month, in February 2018.

"It's how our industry goes; I had a master who I was trained under, and I'm the seventh master distiller at the company," Morris previously told the Courier Journal. "We really respect that lineage. You learn all of these secrets and processes that are handed down from generation to generation."

In her new role, McCall will oversee quality and innovation efforts and bring new Woodford Reserve products to market. She will lead the brand’s special, rare bourbon releases, including the Master's Collection and Distillery Series, bringing her unique touch and point of view to new whiskies.

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"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.

On a personal note, McCall, 38, and her husband, Matt, have one child with another on the way, which means the next few months will be extremely busy.

As the newly announced Master Distiller, McCall will continue her duties at Woodford Reserve Distillery, 7785 McCracken Pike in Versailles, Kentucky — plus her new title puts McCall in high demand the weeks leading up to the 149th Kentucky Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs.

Woodford Reserve has returned as presenting sponsor of The Kentucky Derby and that means lots of entertaining and plenty of Woodford Reserve mint juleps to be served.

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So, a question every Master Distiller answers many times during a career — how does McCall like to drink bourbon?

"I feel like there's so much stigma that you’ve got to drink it a certain way, and I say 'drink it how you like it,'" McCall previously told the Courier Journal. "I’ve been quoted in numerous articles saying 'oh if you want to drink it with Coca Cola do that.' People think that I’m crazy for saying that. I personally just like to drink it on the rocks, or if I’m out, I love having a cocktail made for me."

Reach Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Woodford Reserve names Elizabeth McCall new Master Distiller