OBITUARY – PARKER BEAM, 75

Heaven Hill Master Distiller Emeritus Parker Beam passed away on January 8. He had been battling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, since 2O13. Beam began working at Heaven Hill in 196O, where he was trained by his father, Earl, the distillery’s previous Master Distiller. He earned the title himself in 1975. During his tenure he helped pioneer the company’s first premium small batch and single barrel bourbons. As bourbon’s popularity grew, Parker became the face of the Heaven Hill brand, and he spent time traveling around the world to represent American bourbon. Watching the industry recover and blossom was one of Parker’s great joys. While his disease eventually forced him to stop working, Parker stayed on at Heaven Hill as Master Distiller Emeritus to help coach new distillers and provide technical assistance.