A Tempting World: Day 1 at Four Roses Bourbon Whiskey Distillery

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My name is Ben Barger and I have been given the opportunity to work at a variety of exciting positions with some of the best employers in the world over the next few weeks as a part of A Tempting World.

I will be documenting my experiences with a blog series entitled “A Tempting World” and I am excited to share with you how my experiences as a U.S. Olympian retired from sport are helping me as I transition to the world of work.

My first assignment is at Four Roses Bourbon Whiskey Distillery in Kentucky where I will spend the week as an Event and Marketing Specialist.

The first day was action-packed with the grand opening of the Visitors Center, where dignitaries and city officials introduced the opening of the facility as a key attraction to the local area. Four Roses Bourbon lined the stage with confetti cannons and shot them in the air as the ribbon was officially cut to open the gorgeous Spanish-architecture-inspired-design Visitors Center.  What an exciting day in Kentucky.

Most of my activity for the day included meeting and greeting guests and engaging with them to discuss how refined the Four Roses Bourbon brand has become since their resurgence in 2003 to the American market.

I’m learning all kinds of facts about Four Roses Bourbon and it’s only the beginning of the week!  Did you know Four Roses Bourbon was born in 1888 and was the best-selling bourbon at the turn of the last century?  Another interesting fact that I learned was that the higher-end whiskeys are bourbon and that 95% of them are made right here in Kentucky. Go America, go!  In addition, I learned about the new Oak Barrels that they use to age the whiskey as well as the variety of different kinds of Mash (the ingredients that define each taste).

Lastly, I learned that the end product cannot be measured by a machine for quality. The Master Distiller, Jim Rutledge, and his staff actually taste and smell each batch to ensure that they are perfect. Now that’s quality control, and a fun job I might add!

Later this week they are hosting a runamok event, which will include mixologists, or bartenders, that will learn how to do special mixes with the bourbon.

Some of the skills that will result in success for this marketing role include being fast paced and ready for every challenge.  Fortunately as an athlete, I learned how to handle this on the race course and building my team to utlimately perform at our highest level. What a great day to go to work and I am certainly looking forward to the rest of my week at Four Roses Bourbon!

Ben with Adecco staff at the new Four Roses visitor center

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