[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 12 (Monday, January 23, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING PARKER BEAM

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I join many Kentuckians who were deeply 
saddened to hear of the passing of Parker Beam, the master distiller 
emeritus of Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, KY. Parker was a giant 
of the industry, and he helped promote ``the new Golden Age'' of 
bourbon in the United States.
  The Beam family is no stranger to bourbon. Tracing its distilling 
roots in Kentucky back to 1795, Parker Beam continued the tradition of 
his lineage. When he succeeded his father as master distiller, Parker 
grew Heaven Hill Distillery with its first premium small batch and 
single barrel bourbons. During his long career, Parker won numerous 
awards and accolades for his craft and became a charter member in the 
Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame.
  Parker was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, or Lou 
Gehrig's Disease in 2010. Since then, he dedicated himself to finding a 
cure and established the Parker Beam Promise of Hope Fund. After 50 
years of bourbon and a courageous battle with this disease, Parker 
passed away at the age of 75.
  Kentucky's bourbon heritage has brought pride, culture, and economic 
development to the Commonwealth. Parker Beam helped cultivate that 
tradition and pass it on to the next generation. He was a man of skill, 
authenticity, and passion, and his legacy will surely live on. Elaine 
and I send our condolences to his friends and family.
  Mr. President, The Herald-Leader in Lexington, Kentucky published an 
article on Parker Beam's career. I ask unanimous consent that a copy of 
the article be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                 [From the Herald-Leader, Jan. 9, 2016]

        Parker Beam, Master Distiller of Kentucky Bourbon, Dies

                          (By Bruce Schreiner)

       Parker Beam, who carried on his family's historic bourbon-
     making tradition as longtime master distiller for Kentucky-
     based Heaven Hill Distilleries, died Monday after battling 
     amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig's 
     disease. He was 75.
       Beam's career as a whiskey maker spanned more than a half 
     century at Bardstown, Kentucky-based Heaven Hill, a family 
     owned and operated distilled spirits company and maker of the 
     popular Evan Williams brand. Beam was responsible for 
     distilling and aging Evan Williams--the world's No. 2-selling 
     bourbon--and other Heaven Hill whiskeys.
       ``He was a true industry giant long before the current 
     bourbon renaissance,'' said Max L. Shapira, president of 
     Heaven Hill Brands. ``Without question, he was committed to 
     our industry and possessed a real passion for the craft of 
     distilling.''
       Beam's pedigree as a bourbon maker was impeccable. As a 
     grandnephew of Jim Beam, Parker Beam was born into a family 
     that traces its whiskey-making roots in Kentucky to 1795, 
     when Jacob Beam set up his first still. Park Beam, Parker's 
     grandfather and namesake, was Jim Beam's brother.
       ``If you were a Beam, you sort of were destined to follow 
     in the footsteps of either your father, grandfathers, cousins 
     or uncles,'' Parker Beam said in a 2007 interview with The 
     Associated Press.
       Another industry patriarch, Bill Samuels Jr., on Monday 
     called his longtime friend ``one of the good guys.'' For some 
     people, living up to a legendary family name can be a burden, 
     but not so for Parker, Samuels said.
       ``In his case, he lived up to and exceeded the burden of 
     having the most famous name in bourbon,'' said Samuels, who 
     retired after a long career as the top executive at Maker's 
     Mark.
       During his years-long battle with the disorder, Parker Beam 
     raised funds in hopes of helping find a cure.
       Parker Beam was among a small fraternity of master 
     distillers who oversaw production at various Kentucky 
     distilleries during bourbon's revival.
       According to a 2014 report by the University of 
     Louisville's Urban Studies Institute, distilling contributes 
     $3 billion in gross state product to Kentucky's economy every 
     year, up from $1.8 billion two years ago. Kentucky bourbon 
     and Tennessee whiskey exports shot past $1 billion for the 
     first time in 2013, according to the Distilled Spirits 
     Council. By 2015, combined U.S. revenues for bourbon, 
     Tennessee whiskey and rye whiskey rose 7.8 percent to $2.9 
     billion, while bourbon and Tennessee whiskey exports topped 
     $1 billion for the third straight year, the group said.
       Parker Beam began his career at Heaven Hill in 1960 and 
     learned the craft by working alongside his father, Earl. The 
     job of master distiller shifted from father to son in 1975 
     when Parker Beam assumed the role. He developed the company's 
     first premium small batch and single barrel bourbons.
       That father-son partnership extended into another 
     generation when Parker Beam's son, Craig, started working at 
     Heaven Hill in the early 1980s. For years, the Beams shared 
     duties as co-master distillers. Parker Beam had the title of 
     master distiller emeritus at Heaven Hill at the time of this 
     death.
       ``Parker Beam wasn't just a name on a bottle--he was the 
     living embodiment of the whiskey inside--authentic, classic, 
     well-seasoned and distilled from old-fashioned hard work and 
     gentleman integrity,'' said Eric Gregory, president of the 
     Kentucky Distillers' Association.
       Craig Beam had his own humble start. On one summer break 
     from school, he cleaned pigeon droppings in a vacant 
     warehouse purchased by Heaven Hill. He later drove a truck 
     for the distillery and worked in the bottling operation.
       ``I've got a whole lot to live up to with my father and 
     grandfather,'' Craig Beam told the AP in 2007. ``I've got a 
     lot of weight on my shoulders.''

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