We’re Recapping ELEVATE 2023: Jim Beam Distillery Tour & Ice Carving Class

ELEVATE bartenders were treated to a tour of James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, KY. The interactive experience took attendees through the company’s entire bourbon-making process, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how the brand has been churning out whiskey for more than 200 years.

It’s a method that starts with a specific mash bill and Kentucky’s limestone-filtered water, and wraps up in an aging process that is twice as long as the law requires. Giving it at least four years in the rickhouse — as opposed to the mandated two — allows the bourbon to extract its caramelized sugars, oak flavor, and golden-brown color.

Attendees also received a peek into House of Suntory’s Dojo program. Corey Galotta, brand manager of Courvoisier and House of Suntory East, explained that the exclusive program covers the art of Japanese bartending, hospitality, craftsmanship, and culture.

As part of this hands-on preview, Hidetsugu Ueno, world-renowned bartender and owner of Bar High Five in Tokyo, traveled to Kentucky to give ELEVATE attendees a live ice carving tutorial. After Ueno demonstrated hand carving an ice ball and shared tips and tricks of the trade, bartenders threw on gloves and used their own sets of tools to craft an ice sphere. The balls were served in a glass with Legent, so attendees could taste the one-of-a-kind Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey.

“Legent is the latest addition to the House of Suntory portfolio,” Galotta said. “It is a Kentucky bourbon [made] with Japanese craftsmanship and blending principles.”

Partially finished in wine and sherry casks, Legent is a collaboration between two industry legends: Jim Beam’s seventh-generation master distiller Fred Noe, and Suntory’s fifth-ever chief blender, Shinji Fukuyo. The result of their joint effort is a balanced and rounded bourbon that starts off rich, warm, and oaky. But like a Japanese whisky, it also features complex layers and a smooth finish.