James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits

Another belated happy #NationalInternDay to our very own Tyler Mattingly, a Finance and Global Business student in the Gatton College of Business and Economics. Tyler is an intern this summer with the Beam Institute, where he is doing all the work a distiller does, in addition to some great research projects. Thank you, Tyler, for you all your hard work.

Believe it or not, #NationalInternDay was not long enough to highlight all of our amazing students in their internships. Happy belated National Intern Day to Charlee Dolin, a recent Food Science and Distillation, Wine and Brewing Studies Certificate graduate! Charlee is interning this summer with the Beam Institute, cooking and fermenting grains, distilling, conducting lab research and being an all around team player! Charlee says she likes "the challenges that come with working in a craft distillery. No two days are exactly alike, and because of that I feel that I'm getting a well-rounded education that will better prepare me for the industry!" University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Happy #NationalInternDay to our very own Beam Institute Intern, Benjamin Lin. Ben is a Biosystems Engineering, Agricultural and Medical Biotechnology, Violin Performance AND Distillation, Wine and Brewing Certificate student at UK and is currently interning with us on campus. Here is what Ben appreciates about his work: "My favorite part of the internship has been being able to make so many connections around the industry. I have been able work with people from different major disciplines, distilleries, and breweries. This has been great in helping me develop a broader understanding of distilling in Kentucky."

Happy #NationalInternDay to Mattie Brock! Mattie is a Chemical Engineering and Distillation, Wine and Brewing Studies Certificate student at the University of Kentucky. She is also enjoying an internship abroad this summer at the University of Burgundy in Dijon. Here is what her days look like: "Studying distillation under reduced pressure. Distilling synthetic wine under vacuum conditions and evaluating the concentrations of different esters using GCMS analysis" University of Kentucky College of Engineering

Happy #NationalInternDay to Mary Grace Vest! Mary Grace is interning at Buffalo Trace this summer, and here is why she loves her work: "I like that I learn something new every day! Over the past 6 weeks, I have learned the ins and outs of all the distillery operations. From Grain Receiving to DDGS ship out I've learned it all! No two days ever look the same for me, but my favorite days are spent running around talking to operators and picking their brains about their role in the process. Something really cool to know about Buffalo Trace is that we are the longest continuously operating distillery in America! We were one of three distilleries granted permission to produce "medicinal whiskey" during prohibition, and since then the other two distilleries are no longer in operation." University of Kentucky College of Engineering; Sazerac Company

Happy #NationalInternDay, Kendall Edelen! Kendall is a Chemical Engineering and Distillation, Wine and Brewing Studies certificate student at UK and is currently interning at the University of Burgundy in France. She says: "I worked under a Ph. D student at the Institut Universitaire de la Vigne et du Vin Jules Guyot. The project I was assisting with studied the interaction between various yeast strains during the fermentation of grapes to minimize the formation/eliminate spoilage-causing yeast. I spent most of my time preparing samples and extracting ‘killer’ proteins from yeast cultures to use during killing activities on different mediums. This was such an amazing opportunity, and I was able to expand my knowledge of wine production and common issues within the industry - knowledge I am excited to bring back to the University of Kentucky!" A Santé, Kendall! University of Kentucky College of Engineering

Parker Noe is interning here on campus with the Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits. He says: "I come from a long line of distillers, and throughout my life I’ve always heard stories and tales about the inner workings of the industry and how it’s evolved. Thanks to the Jim Beam Institute, I not only get to see all of those stories come to life in front of my eyes, but I get hands on experience doing the same work my family has done for generations. Because of the Institute's unique set up as a teaching distillery, I feel this experience that I’m currently gaining is second to none as a first job and a first step in my future career in the the alcohol production industry."

Zac says about his internship: "This summer I have had the opportunity to learn the process behind bourbon production. Getting hands on experience in both cooking and distilling has been amazing. The Beam Institute on campus at the University of Kentucky has been a great place to learn. It is filled with amazing people who are very passionate about what they do. My favorite part about the internship is working together to solve new problems each day. As an engineer, problem solving is an important skill. Being able to work with my fellow interns and the Beam employees to solve these problems and produce great Kentucky Bourbon has been nothing short of amazing."

Parker Noe is interning here on campus with the Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits. He says: "I come from a long line of distillers, and throughout my life I’ve always heard stories and tales about the inner workings of the industry and how it’s evolved. Thanks to the Jim Beam Institute, I not only get to see all of those stories come to life in front of my eyes, but I get hands on experience doing the same work my family has done for generations. Because of the Institute's unique set up as a teaching distillery, I feel this experience that I’m currently gaining is second to none as a first job and a first step in my future career in the the alcohol production industry."

Happy #NationalInternDay to Zachary Lockhart! Zac is interning this summer with us here at the Beam Institute. He said about his internship: "This summer I have had the opportunity to learn the process behind bourbon production. Getting hands on experience in both cooking and distilling has been amazing. The Beam Institute on campus at the University of Kentucky has been a great place to learn. It is filled with amazing people who are very passionate about what they do. My favorite part about the internship is working together to solve new problems each day. As an engineer, problem solving is an important skill. Being able to work with my fellow interns and the Beam employees to solve these problems and produce great Kentucky Bourbon has been nothing short of amazing."