Around the Barrel - Transcript: Ep040 Lexie Phillips

 

Lexie Phillips: This is a lot more than just having a dream job. This is a step forward for the ladies of Jack Daniel’s and all over in the industry.

 

Lucas Hendrickson: It's always exciting to see hard work pay off. Identifying an opportunity, weighing the pros and cons, seeking guidance from others who have been there, then rolling up your sleeves and jumping into the fray are all parts of that broader concept of hard work. And when that payoff not only rewards the hard work but also sends a positive shock wave throughout an entire industry, all the better. 

 

On this episode, we talk with Lexie Phillips, the new Assistant Distiller at Jack Daniel’s, about her hard work path from a part-time job to helping lead the distillery team for the world's most famous Tennessee whiskey, how helping folks select whiskey she made remains a thrill and how calling for Jack will almost always elicit a response around a food dish and Around the Barrel.

 

Welcome back to Around the Barrel, the official podcast from the makers of Jack Daniel’s. I'm your host, Lukas Hendrickson. Lexie Phillips didn't set out to be a trailblazer or role model or pioneer when she started working at the Jack Daniel Distillery in 2014. She came to do a job and to do it well. 

 

And because she did that and more, she is now all of those things: trailblazer, role model, pioneer, whether she feels comfortable with those labels or not. She is, however, growing more comfortable by the day with her new title, Jack Daniel’s Assistant Distiller. 

 

As part of the distillery’s leadership team alongside Master Distiller Chris Fletcher, Lexie has her hands in all of the processes that make Old No. 7 Tennessee whiskey and its various expressions and gets to speak into the innovations that will not only further define the brand but also uphold the qualities and traditions friends of Mr. Jack around the world have come to expect. 

 

Having grown up around Lynchburg and now deeply involved in the town's primary export, Lexie knows the legacy she's now charged with upholding and is excited about her new chapter in that story.

 

Lexie: My name is Lexie Phillips, and I'm the Assistant Distiller here at Jack Daniel’s. And I am from Estill Springs, Tennessee, right outside Lynchburg.

 

Lucas: Lexie Phillips, welcome to Around the Barrel, or welcome back to Around the Barrel in this particular case. 

 

Lexie: Thank you very much. 

 

Lucas: This has been a big time for you of late, ascending to the heights of Assistant Distiller here at Jack Daniel’s. Congratulations on that.

 

Lexie: Thank you very much. I'm definitely honored to be in the role.

 

Lucas: You were on a previous episode as Lexie Amacher. Now you're Lexie Phillips, but talk about what the role as you know it, as you understand it and as you're kind of shaping it is these days.

 

Lexie: Yeah. When I think of Assistant Distiller, you know, I think of somebody who really just likes to geek out on talking about anything distillery wise. They know the ins and outs of whiskey making, start to finish, through our whole process. They're not afraid to get their hands dirty. 

 

And they know the importance of getting people together, talking about innovation. We have a world renowned liquid. What can we do with that that's going to make it even more amazing, while still protecting our process?

 

So, if you want to buy a barrel, and you couldn't make it down to the distillery – if you want to buy it for your home bar or your restaurant or wherever you'd like to use it for, we can help you pick the perfect one.

 

You know, as an Assistant Distiller, you get to be a Master Taster, which is the program where you get to decide if a barrel gets to graduate to a Single Barrel offering yet. You know, I mean, there's so much involved in that. 

 

That’s what an Assistant Distiller is to me, and now I get to say that that's what I am. That is my day to day role. And I'm so proud to be in this, because, I mean, the distillery really is my wheelhouse, and I do love talking about it. And working with Chris Fletcher on the quality side just of the process from start to finish – it has been a lot. Taking on a lot of his knowledge has been really cool.

 

Lucas: Mhm. We talked last time a little bit about your path, and at that point you'd been here around 5 years. And this is about a year and a half later, so approaching seven. Talk a little bit about kind of the steps that you took to get to this point. You know, what were you doing leading up to doing this, and then we'll open up more about what the current role means for you moving forward.

 

Lexie: You know, I started out – I came in and started at the bottom. I started working part time down in bottling. A lot of my time was actually spent in the quality control lab. That's where I really got to learn how much goes into getting our beautiful amber liquid from the barrel to the bottle and around the world. And there is so much in between those three steps. 

 

I got to work with so many amazing people down there, and several of them were past distillers from the still house. Their stories of the still house really made me fall in love with this place long before I made it up here. 

 

You know, Jessica Hartline, who was on the last Around the Barrel with me – she was a huge influence on me coming to the still house. I worked on second shift with her for over a year. And you know, her stories of talking about honestly how hot and dirty and mechanical manual labor it is – I mean, that speaks to what I love. 

 

I've always been mechanically minded. Doing things outside, you know, just doing things with your hands, actually making things. I think that really helped me find what I was passionate about. 

 

That's where I fell in love with, I will say, the two most important things in my life: Jack Daniel's still house, and that's where I also met my now husband 7 years later. He was in processing, and I was in quality control, so we saw each other every night. 

 

And of course we were just good friends then, but just this last year, we've gotten married in the middle of COVID. A big wedding turned into a small backyard wedding that turned out better than it could have ever been. 

 

Lucas: So, between you getting married and Chris and his wife having a kid during the age of COVID, you know, the distilling team had a lot of major changes above and beyond.

 

Lexie: We had a lot of big stuff going on this year. 2020 was a wild one.

 

Lucas: Yes. We talked a little bit before we started rolling about, well, your kind of interests in taking stuff apart and trying to put it back together and process and stuff like that. 

 

But you also – again, from being around here, you got your degree in agribusiness from Middle Tennessee State University just up the road in Murfreesboro. Is there a specific part of your educational path you think best prepped you for working here at Jack Daniel’s?

 

Lexie: You know, a lot of the training is done on the job, but I will say in school, it was actually one of my last semesters there. They were just beginning the fermentation sciences program. There was only two classes offered when I was there, and it was Chemistry and Wine and Wine Appreciation. 

 

And being from the rural area that I'm from, I knew a very simplified way of making wine from a cousin long ago. But I learned in those classes that there's a lot more to the process than just fruit and yeast and a whole lot of hope it doesn’t turn to vinegar. You can actually make things happen differently. 

 

You know, we actually got to go on a field trip to Canada, and we toured a lot of distilleries over the course of five or six days and got to see that process.

 

Lucas: Oh, wow. Yeah.

 

Lexie: And, you know, that's where I really started getting interested in the process, but I didn't know what I was going to do with it yet.

 

Lucas: I was gonna say, it’s funny. The end of your educational path had a couple of things that really sparked the things that then, you know, you've been able to take and turn into a career now. That's fascinating.

 

Lexie: Exactly. Cause, I mean, you don't – even then, living so close to Jack Daniel’s and getting interested in that process, the distillery operators here – to me, they were just cream of the crop. You never think that you'd be able to make it there, you know? 

 

You don't even know how to even really get started. But I mean, all I did – I got a call from my great aunt, said that Jack Daniel’s was hiring, and I was very excited. And from there I just started following things that I was passionate about. And that's really what led me to where I am now.

 

Lucas: Yeah. Along the way, in those seven years that you got to be exposed to all the different facets of grain to glass, was there an idea in the back of your head, was there a process tweak, was there something that you'd been dying to see implemented that now you can do that as part of all this? 

 

Without getting super technical, but, you know, was there anything that you saw or a number of things that you saw and went, “This could be better. This could be different. This could change a little bit.”

 

Lexie: I will say honestly, you know, we started doing some innovation things a few years back. And I was very excited about that, cause you get to see the changes in the process being in the distillery: what a grain bill change looks like, what it looks like in the cookers and fermenters and all that. 

 

You know, I think that was something I was, I’m still, very excited about that I get to be a little more involved in. But you know, something as a distillery operator, lead distillery operator – you know, honestly a big part of your job is protecting the process we do. 

 

So, I mean, things that you want to keep the same, but then you can tweak little things like the grain bill and see what else you can play with it.

 

Lucas: Now, you were around and involved with the introduction of the rye product, correct?

 

Lexie: I was. Now, it started – they started doing it in 2011, and I got to the distillery in ‘14. So, it was still growing when I got there.

 

Lucas: Right. But again, talking about, you know, completely different grain bill sets and learning and seeing how those things interact differently with the exact same equipment, I have to imagine, is, again, a part of that learning process that you can't do until you're there and touching that process every single day.

 

Lexie: Exactly. Yeah. Without having the knowledge of what it looks like for the Tennessee whiskey that we make, in the cookers, you know, it's completely different issues when you have a more rye-heavy grain bill versus corn, right? They're just completely different beasts in a cooker.

 

Lucas: Is there a way to describe the visual differences between the two in the cooker easily?

 

Lexie: Definitely. The visual difference is one is a bright yellow, like a cornbread batter. And the other one is closer to almost like a light brown, like a tan color. And the smells are different, definitely. A cornbread and almost a rye bread. I mean, I think those are two things we're all familiar with. And that is definitely the biggest difference.

 

Lucas: Well, and you talk about the innovation piece that you've been able to see and now are going to be able to touch moving forward. You've got the Tennessee Tasters series that's been, you know, kind of incredibly well-received, certainly in my household. 

 

But again, talking about those two very different products, the one that's coming out right now or very soon, the Twin Blend one, marries those two things together in an interesting way. Break down what Twin Blend is going to be in that Tennessee Tasters series.

 

Lexie: Right. The Twin Blend I'm very excited about. You know, that was actually Jessica Hartline. Props to her yet again. That is a great combination of our Tennessee whiskey and our rye whiskey that were actually born on the same day. 

 

So, what we're meaning is that it's entered into their own separate barrels on the same day and aged alongside each other. And that's not really a common thing that happens. The whiskey actually gives a very happy marriage of both of those flavors. 

 

And Jessica decided on a very flavorful proof of 107, and I think it really highlights the best of both worlds in our rye and Tennessee whiskey. That's not on the shelves. It will be really soon, so I definitely suggest trying out a bottle.

 

Lucas: Yeah. Or as the world continues to open up, come here to Lynchburg and grab some at the White Rabbit and take it home with you. So, I always do feel a little bit bad, cause we've touched on Tennessee Tasters quite a bit. And it's, shall we say, limited in availability. 

 

Lexie: It is definitely limited.

 

Lucas: But it's also a great reason to, again, as the world continues to open up – 

 

Lexie: Well, on the innovation lens, it is something that you can do in a smaller batch to just play with and see what people like, you know? I think that's a really cool part of it, that you're not making the large scale of it just yet. If it goes over amazing, there's a chance we might. So, I think it's definitely something fun to play with.

 

Lucas: Yeah. Is there a part of the overall process – and you made a very good point about you want to be able to protect that that has been in place for 150 plus years, but also you want to do those things that can increase efficiency and increase output while also very much protecting that process. 

 

Is there a part of the overall process that you look most forward to in a day? It’s on your calendar. You don't dread it as opposed to some of maybe some other things that are coming up, but is there any part of the job, as you have it right now, that you look most forward to?

 

Lexie: Honestly, I think helping people select a barrel is one of the coolest things. It is absolutely awesome, because people are coming in, they're so excited and you get to tell them what all went into making this whiskey. 

 

Because now the whiskey is coming out that I actually made. You know, I actually had a hand in doing this that you're trying right now and telling them what all goes into it and helping them pick that perfect flavor that they're looking for, whether it's a cigar shop or if they're looking for something – I think I had somebody that wanted one that tasted like a peanut butter parfait.

 

That was the only one of those, but I don't know if I can get that exactly. But we go to the sweeter side. But those are the really, really fun ones, because people love that experience. Absolutely love it. And it just makes you feel really good on being able to be the professional and tell them all about it.

 

Lucas: Yeah. So, how much info do you get leading up to the meeting, or of late, doing those virtually, that then you're able to pull that set of samples from and in the midst of it, do you ever kind of focus on one that you think, “Okay, here's the set. These are kind of red herrings. This is what they're probably going to go to,” or they might go to, more accurately, based on the info they've provided you to that point?

 

Lexie: You know, normally, if they're looking for something very specific, they can send a flavor profile that they're looking for. And we can help them, but most of the time they come in here and we have the set of three different samples that are normally a pretty good combination of different flavors. 

 

And we'll go through and talk about pretty much the flavors we pick up in each one of them, but from there, it's their barrel. We're letting them pick it. You know, I'd rather not really pick which one is my favorite, because I want it to be their barrel. 

 

You know, if they get it home and they're like, “Well, I don't know,” I want it to be, you know, more on them than on me. So, really what – we're just kind of leading the way in what we think the flavors will be. And then we're talking it out and just seeing which ones they like. 

 

Normally it's pretty quick. They're going to narrow it down to two. And then the rest of the time, we'll pretty much be going back and forth.

 

Lucas: Right. Yeah. Are there any other kind of pieces of advice or standardized pieces of advice you'd give people, like, “You know, remember, you're going to be tasting this for quite some time, or your customers are going to be.” 

 

Lexie: It’s hard, because, you know, a personal pick – that's easy, because you are picking for your flavor. You know, we've had a lot of store picks come in, and most of them are going to pick what may not be their absolute favorite, but it's what they think their customers will need. 

 

I've had really only two or three that are like, “My customers know what my flavor is. I'm going with my favorite pick.” And I really love that, because no matter what, you can always defend your pick. You know, it's like, “You guys know what flavors I like, so this is what we're going with.”

 

Lucas: Sure. From your perspective, even prior to taking this role, what do you think has been the biggest challenge for the distillery over the past year?

 

Lexie: You know, we have started tours back up, but they are still not going into production areas. So, you know, I think that's been a real big hit on the tour guides, because it's hard to explain something without being able to show it to them. It takes a little more craft to do that. 

 

I'd say on the distillery side, on the still house, you know, our transition to hand sanitizer for a while on two of our stills, was – that was a really big thing that I was – we were all very excited to be able to do and help out. 

 

But that was something really different, you know? You had to play with that. When I was talking about changes in grain bills, I mean, that's a huge difference. So, we were very proud to be able to do that, to honestly be able to still work our day to day jobs.

 

Cause I know a lot of people had struggled in that time. So, that was a hard thing for us to transition to, but we were glad we got to do it for sure.

 

Lucas: Yeah. Take Old No. 7 out of the equation. What is your favorite expression of Jack Daniel’s these days? And from a technical standpoint, which one is the toughest one to get right on a consistent basis?

 

Lexie: I'd say, you know, each one – it depends on really the occasion you're drinking at, but I will always go back to Single Barrel. But just because, I mean, you get a little variety in each one. You know, that is the full, bold flavor. I really like that one a lot. But then if it's really hot in the summertime and I need something a little louder, then I'll go with some Gentleman Jack. 

 

On hard to get them rights – it's not that it's a hard process to get Single Barrel right, but it does go through a little bit more rigorous testing of several people have to approve them to make it to the next step. And so I'd say it jumps through more hoops than the rest for sure.

 

Lucas: Sure. Talk about the Single Barrel special releases. This past year had the Single Barrel Barrel Proof, which won double gold last year at San Francisco. And then the rye expression and the ongoing Single Barrel Select – what kind of decisions go into putting those together that are different from the black and white bottle everybody knows?

 

Lexie: Right. You know, the Single Barrel lands with, like you were saying, the Barrel Proof and the rye. It's really just one for everybody. You know, we have so many whiskey connoisseurs, if you would, now. There's a huge whiskey boom. 

 

And I think that they have been so well received, and, you know, sometimes they just want something a little different to where maybe the Barrel Proof is a little bit even more full flavor than our Single Barrel 94 proof. I absolutely love its flavor, for sure. 

 

And the Barrel Proof rye, which we did the Single Barrel special release of last year – that went over amazing. It has just the sweet notes, the spicy notes. And I mean, it is just out there and it was a very wonderful expression.

 

Lucas: Yeah. So, you're from this area. You grew up around here. How is the Lynchburg area different from when you were coming up in this area?

 

Lexie: How is it different? I don't know. I could honestly probably speak to more of how it's the same. You know, growing up, we always wished there was a little more to do. There's not much to do around here. You're waiting on a friend to get their license so you can drive around the Sonic or go to somebody's house and hang out. 

 

But, you know, now, looking back, I feel like that's why community is so strong here, because there may be nothing to do, but we're going to do it together. You know, you're not – you don't miss football games or basketball games. You know, the whole community's there. 

 

And I think that's – being in a small town, you know, any small town, I think that's a really great thing. And you may not see it til you're a little older, but I do think that's why community is so important here.

 

Lucas: Sure. Well, and a big part of any community is family, and you talked about how your great aunt was kind of a conduit for you to make your way in here. And you have, what, double digit family members working here as well? How has it been working with so many people you grew up with and around and related to as part of your professional path?

 

Lexie: You know, it's really pretty cool. Cause I mean, sometimes, when you get a new job, you're a little nervous of all the people you're going to meet. You know, you already know half of them here. 

 

But really, you know, we do have several different – it's still a bigger facility, you know? The 25 plus family members that I've had here at work past and present – we were all spread out throughout the distillery. You know, there's really only one or two that I work with side-by-side now. My mother-in-law is in the main office with me, which is awesome. 

 

Lucas: So, new family members as well. Yeah.

 

Lexie: That’s it. New family members. My cousin – she's in the quality control lab. I work with her pretty regularly. Other than that, we were pretty spread out through warehousing and bottling and Single Barrel bottling, so I don't get to see as much of them as much.

 

Lucas: Right. The last time we spoke with you, the general theme was women in whiskey, and you are the first female in this role for this particular company. We're talking the day after it was kind of announced to the world, so I'm sure, you know, your phone and your email inbox got lit up yesterday with all of that. 

 

Lexie: Oh, for sure. Yeah.

 

Lucas: How does it feel to be the first woman in this particular role and knowing that moving forward, you're going to be looked at as a, you know, kind of pioneer in this side of the industry?

 

Lexie: You know, it's – I'm still almost living in a dream having this job. You know, there are moments it's still not quite real. Because, I mean, growing up, you have Jimmy Bedford, Jeff Arnett, Chris Fletcher, and they are just hailed in such high regard. 

 

You know, even when I'd started in bottling, I mean, you don't – I never thought that I would be working side by side with the Master Distiller. And not because I'm a woman, but, I mean, how do you even begin to start there? 

 

But like I said, I just had followed my passions, and it led me to here, the passion of the people, the history and the process. But really, when I got this job, the whole being the first woman in this position didn't even really sink in until, you know – honestly, it was night that it came out internally.

 

I had ran into actually one of our tour guides in the women's restroom of our local marina of all places. And I didn't even know her that well, but she came up to me and she hugged me and told me how proud she was of me and how proud of what I was doing for women at Jack Daniel’s. 

 

And I mean, it still just gives me chills, because it didn't really even begin to sink in until then. And there's been a few occurrences since then of the same thing. You know, it's really still sinking in that this is a lot more than just having a dream job. You know, this is a step forward for the ladies of Jack Daniel’s and all over in the industry. 

 

And, you know, that really means a lot to me. I have utmost pride in being able to lead women in this. And thank you, ladies, for all the support.

 

Lucas: This may have changed in the year and a half since we talked or maybe it hasn't, I don't know, but what's kind of your standard piece of advice for women who want to think about going into this side of the business? 

 

Because it's multifaceted, obviously. You know, this is not – your role is not the only one that they could pursue, but what kind of things do you tend to tell other women about in this industry?

 

Lexie: Exactly. I would say, you know, there's a whole lot of information. There's books and podcasts.

 

Lucas: Podcasts? Imagine that.

 

Lexie: Yeah. And classes that you can get into to really get more information on the fermentation, distillation. Or if you just want to be a more knowledgeable whiskey taster, you know, I mean, there's so many women in whiskey groups on Facebook that would love to have you. 

 

And I think really just getting more women involved in the STEM field of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics. You know, science and math, those were my two all-star subjects all through school, which isn't a typical thing for women. 

 

It was just where my mind went, and I loved that. So, I think if it's something that you are passionate about or you're even interested in, you know, you can find more out about it and do like I did. I mean, come into the industry. Start at the bottom. The more information you can get, you'll find your passion, and the next steps will become a lot more obvious.

 

Lucas: Yeah. What are the pieces of this new position that you are looking most forward to learning more about? You talked about the Master Taster part of that. I don't know how long you'd been kind of working towards that prior to taking this role, but I have to imagine that’s one that will continue to be ongoing pretty much for the rest of your life. 

 

You know, everybody's that way, but what other kind of things are you looking more forward to diving into and getting an even better grasp of?

 

Lexie: Right. You know, the innovation lens is a really big part of it, because that is – you know, it's exciting. Like I had talked about, you know, some of the different things that you can play with and different ideas that you can come up with and talk to other people and see what's really possible that we can do – I'd say that's what I'm most excited about.

 

Lucas: Mhm. Is there anything that you can tell us about that's upcoming, coming out of that innovation lens, that we can kind of give people without both of us losing our jobs? What are the kind of new things that might be on the horizon as your boss is also sitting in the room?

 

Lexie: That’s it. I will say that I get to be working, I am actually working on the next Tennessee Tasters, and that should come out a little later this year. So, I'm very excited about that, but can't tell you a whole lot about it. I'd rather you be a little more surprised, you know?

 

Lucas: Sure. I'm always surprised by the Tennessee Tasters series. 

 

Lexie: So, keep a look out for them.

 

Lucas: Yeah, absolutely. The great thing your bio also talks about – you know, again, newly married, blended household of pets, including cats and dogs, two of which are named Jack. So, A: you know, is it two cats, two dogs? And my more important question is which one comes first when you call for Jack?

 

Lexie: So, we have three cats and three dogs. My husband – he had two dogs, and I had the rest. So, I have a cat Jack, and he had a dog Jack. So, when we’re describing who did something in the house, somebody who did something, it's either Jack the cat or Jack the dog. Definitely I would say Jack the cat comes first. 

 

Lucas: Really? I am fascinated by that.

 

Lexie: Jack the dog, he's a little rebellious at times. And Jack the cat is always hungry, so.

 

Lucas: There you go. Yeah.

 

Lexie: So, yeah. It's definitely a blended household. And if I'm hollering for the cat, the dog gets riled up in the pen. So, it's definitely a battle sometimes. I tried changing the cat's name to Hank. He didn't like it.

 

Lucas: Didn’t take it. Yeah. You haven't thought about changing one to Daniel’s versus, you know? Too ingrained, probably, into those cats. 

 

Lexie: That’s it. That’s it.

 

Lucas: If people are wanting to reach out and pick your brain or congratulate you or whatever, do you have any sort of social media presence out there that people could follow or?

 

Lexie: I do. I do have a Facebook, but I'll warn you, I'm not on it that often. 

 

Lucas: Fair enough. You're a busy woman these days.

 

Lexie: That’s it. That’s it. Social media was never my strong suit, so. 

 

Lucas: Which is why you've ascended to the job that you have right now, because you've been far too busy.

 

Lexie: That’s it. For sure.

 

Lucas: Yeah. Well, we thank you for your time, because, again, day after the announcement. You've been a little busy. But again, congratulations. And we look forward to talking to you more, especially as we see more products coming out that have your fingerprints truly on them. But, again, Lexie, thanks for joining us. Thanks for spending some time with us Around the Barrel.

 

Lexie: This was awesome. Thank you very much, Lucas.

 

Lucas: Thanks for checking out this episode of Around the Barrel. If you want to know more about Lexie's path to her new role, check out her previous appearance on episode eight of season two, and for more about the origins of the ongoing Tennessee Tasters series, check out episode three from season two with now Master Distiller Chris Fletcher. 

 

You can find archived episodes of Around the Barrel on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more, plus on the web at jackdaniels.com/podcast. And if you like what you hear, please subscribe, rate and review while you're at it. Cheers, y'all, and join us next time for more conversations Around the Barrel. 

 

Your friends at Jack Daniel’s remind you to drink responsibly. Jack Daniel’s and Old No. 7 are registered trademarks, Copyright 2021 Jack Daniel’s. Tennessee whiskey, 40% alcohol by volume, 80 proof, distilled and bottled by Jack Daniel Distillery, Lynchburg, Tennessee. Around the Barrel is intended for listeners 21 years of age and older.