Raise a (shot) glass to Wild Turkey’s ‘Buddha of Bourbon’

LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. (AP) — As bourbon fans flocked to the Wild Turkey visitors' center, sitting near the entrance was no ordinary greeter. Jimmy Russell, who has lived through so much of the distillery's rich history, was at his post as a goodwill ambassador, signing whiskey bottles, posing for photos and chatting up tourists about his favorite topics — making bourbon and sipping it.

For 70 years, the distillery in the heart of Kentucky's picturesque bourbon country has been Russell's home away from home. He learned his craft from a distiller who endured the dark days of Prohibition. Decades later, Russell was a key player in bourbon's revival — creating some of the premium whiskeys that are cocktail staples and becoming a global front man for his brand and the bourbon sector.

The 89-year-old Russell, known affectionately as the “Buddha of Bourbon,” marked his 70th anniversary at the distillery on Tuesday. For nearly a half-century, he was master distiller at Wild Turkey, putting him in charge of every step of production — from distillation to bottling.

“I always said, ‘The first day I have to come to work I’m retiring,’” he said recently.