David Steven Pickerell (August 14, 1956 – November 1, 2018) was an American distiller. He was considered the "Johnny Appleseed" or "founding father" of craft distilling.
Early life and education
Pickerell was born on August 14, 1956, in Fairborn, Ohio.[1] His father, Richard Pickerell, was a postmaster.[1]
After leaving the army in 1989, Pickerell became a chemical engineer and distilling consultant at Ro-Tech in Louisville, Kentucky.[2] In 1994, he joined Maker's Mark bourbon as a corporate vice president and master distiller and was with the company for 14 years.[1][3] Over Pickerell's 14 years at Maker's Mark, annual sales increased from 175,000 cases to nearly one million.[1]
In 2018, he worked with metal band Metallica to release a product called Blackened American Whiskey.[6] The aging process includes the application of low-frequency sound waves to the brew which broadcast the band's songs. According to the band, each run of 5,000 bottles has a different playlist.[7]
Personal life
Pickerell married Jeannette Harvie, with whom he had four children. He died of hypertensive heart failure on November 1, 2018, in San Francisco, California.[1]