Dotdash Meredith's FOOD & WINE named its 2022 Drinks Innovators of the Year, recognizing eight people who are making positive changes in the drinks industry. Among those listed were Fawn Weaver and Victoria Eady Butler of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey.
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Dotdash Meredith's FOOD & WINE named its 2022 Drinks Innovators of the Year, recognizing eight people who are making positive changes in the drinks industry.
Among those listed were Fawn Weaver and Victoria Eady Butler of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. Butler is the great-great-granddaughter of the whiskey brand's namesake, Nearest Green, according to their official website. She joined Uncle Nearest in March of 2019 as the VP of Administration and was later appointed as the distillery's Master Blender.
“Everything I and the Uncle Nearest team do is to further Nearest’s legacy and to shine a light on the major footprint he made in the spirits industry,” Butler said in an email with T-G.
“While I’m in awe and most appreciative of this tremendous honor, it also serves as a beautiful reminder that the Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey Team, led by Fawn Weaver, is doing exactly what we hoped and planned and that is to cement Nearest Green’s legacy in history.”
Butler said there are a couple plans for the distillery, located at 3125 US-231 North in Shelbyville, this coming summer.
“We are looking forward to the opening of our bar, Humble Baron, the longest bar in the world. Welcoming guests into that massive, beautiful space is the most immediate thing in the works,” Butler said.
Butler contributes the award to the Uncle Nearest team as well as her being the first African-American female Master Blender and receiving back-to-back Master Blender of the Year awards by the Icons of Whiskey-Whiskey Magazine.
Others listed in the FOOD & WINE Drinks Innovators of the Year 2022 include:
Graciela Ángeles Carreño of Real Minero
Jason Haas of Tablas Creek Vineyard
Morgan McLachlan of Amass
Dan Petroski of Massican
Bill Shufelt of Athletic Brewing Co.
Jackie Summers of Sorel
The 2022 Drinks Innovators of the Year are featured at https://www.foodandwine.com/drinks/drinks-innovators-of-the-year.
Hunter Lewis, FOOD & WINE Editor in Chief, said, "With inspired creations and clever ideas, these innovators are not only making our world better, but our happy hours so much more interesting."
