Phantom Pipes Batch

You see, when Dad was in charge of the Boston plant, he had big goals; from finding efficiencies to setting new standards, all in the name of making better bourbon. And once he set his mind to something, nothing could keep him from getting it done. He’d work until he found a solution, using just what he had on hand: scrap material, an engineer’s eye, and a dash of stubborn genius for good measure.

That’s where the pipes came into the picture. Dad was always tinkering with the distillery equipment, finding new ways to connect one thing to another with pipes that stretched across the plant. At first maintenance would take them down at night. But come morning Dad was already putting them back up. Eventually, the boys just left them there, at the ready for whatever experiment came along next. Today, you can still see sections of them scattered across the ceiling.

Dad taught me that if you’ve got an idea in your head, it’s worth doing your darndest to make it happen. That was Booker’s way, and I think it might do us all some good to give it a go.

--- Fred Noe, Beam Family 7th Generation Master Distiller