A Visit with Leiper's Fork Distillery's Distiller, Kendra Anderson

Two years ago, when I first began my research for "Bourbon Belles and Whiskey Women", Kendra Anderson was Leiper's Fork Distillery's Mash Cooker but her passion for the process made it abundantly clear to everyone, even then, that her whiskey journey was just beginning.  Kendra is, in fact, one of those humans who fills her life with things that fill her heart and she pursues those things with unmatched tenacity, curiosity and enthusiasm.  This means that she squeezes every tiny drop of enjoyment out of the life she shares with her husband, her children, her colleagues and her 5 historic car babies.

Her whiskey journey, fueled by her passion for the process, has seen her rise from Mash Cooker to Distiller and Daily Stillhouse Operations Director.  In addition to being able to pick up a nickel from the floor with that tow motor, she supervises all aspects of production including the barrel dumps for their blends and personally runs the still (which produces whiskey based on pre-prohibition recipes), proofs the previous days run, and does the barreling.  She is known for her drive to work smart and to work hard to deliver the very best product possible to the people who count on her to get it right...and she makes counting on her easy.

Now, she is excited about whiskey but she is head over heels in love with her cars and can be seen alongside her husband and partner in car crime bringing these lovelies back to life. Her passion for car babies includes some amazing vintage vehicles like "Sneaky Pete", her 1950 Chevy Coupe Deluxe with a six-cylinder engine (235 vs. 216.5 cubic inches) with hydraulic valve lifters,105 hp and Chevy's first Powerglide transmission.  Her date in the picture above is Papi (pronounced Poppy) and he is a 1954 5 Window Chevy Pickup that her husband built for her as a Mother's Day gift 6 years ago.  Papi has a 355 Small Block with a 350 Turbo transmission and, if you ask her husband, Papi doesn't get much rest. :)

Kendra has an infectious (and freely available) laugh and a love of life that I envy and she translates all of that happiness and passion into beautiful whiskey for us all to enjoy ... which (I am sure) is enjoyed even more when sitting on the tailgate of Papi while enjoying some live music at LFD on a warm summer evening. 

Cheers!