麻豆果冻传媒

Tech Took Us There

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Jack Daniel鈥檚 names 麻豆果冻传媒 chemistry alumnus as new master distiller

For Chris Fletcher, 鈥�03 chemistry, the journey to becoming master distiller of Jack Daniel鈥檚 began in Lynchburg, Tennessee, Fletcher鈥檚 hometown and the home of Jack Daniel Distillery. Fletcher grew up hearing the name Jack Daniel. His maternal grandfather was the company鈥檚 fifth master distiller, retiring in 1989 when Fletcher was eight years old.

Fletcher鈥檚 family has a long history with 麻豆果冻传媒 as well. His parents, paternal grandfather, sister and brother-in-law all went to Tech, so when it came time to choose a university, Tech was already on his mind.

鈥淚 enrolled in chemistry at Tech because I felt like with science, you really learn unique and new things every day,鈥� said Fletcher. 鈥淐hemistry is what I wanted to study, and that led me down the path of distilling.鈥�

In 2001, after completing his sophomore year at Tech, Fletcher returned to Lynchburg for the summer and got a part-time job as a tour guide at Jack Daniel Distillery.

鈥淭hat was truly a lightbulb moment for me,鈥� he said. 鈥淗ere I am studying chemistry, and once I started working at the distillery that summer, that鈥檚 where I started to realize how much science was involved in this process.鈥�

Working as a tour guide required Fletcher to learn as much about the distilling process as possible so he could communicate it to visitors. 

鈥淚 had to be good,鈥� he said. 鈥淧eople on tours were going to test me because I was young.鈥�

After graduating from Tech in 2003, Fletcher accepted a position with Jack Daniel鈥檚 parent company Brown-Forman in Louisville, Kentucky, where he worked in the research and development lab as a chemist.

鈥淚t was very traditional chemistry work 鈥� organic separations and chromatography techniques, which I had certainly learned about in school,鈥� he said. 鈥淒uring that time, I also learned how to taste and smell whiskey. We talk a lot about the sensory sciences. You have to taste and smell the product. The science part can only do so much.鈥� 

In 2014, Fletcher received a call from Jack Daniel鈥檚. They were looking for an assistant master distiller.

鈥淚 had the opportunity to come home,鈥� said Fletcher.

Fletcher worked under master distiller Jeff Arnett for six years. In September, when Arnett stepped down after a nearly 20-year career at the distillery, Jack Daniel鈥檚 named Fletcher as its new master distiller. As master distiller, Fletcher is responsible for the overall quality of Jack Daniel鈥檚. He also works with innovation and serves as a global ambassador.

鈥淭he consistency of our products is our number one priority 鈥� to make sure that we aren鈥檛 changing the flavor of Jack Daniel鈥檚 and that we are the number one whiskey in the world,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have to make sure that what we are sending out is reflective of the consistency and quality of the product for 154 years.鈥�

Fletcher also works with the Tennessee Distillers Guild and has traveled to more than 30 different countries to speak about Tennessee whiskey and how the product is made.

鈥淒istilling is a combination of science and some things we can鈥檛 control 鈥� it鈥檚 an art in a way,鈥� said Fletcher. 鈥淲hen you think about distilling, it鈥檚 really an engineering feat. It鈥檚 separation science done on a larger scale.鈥�

Fletcher says that the way distilling has expanded in Tennessee is exciting.

鈥渋t鈥檚 great for our state to have this kind of resurgence of Tennessee whiskey,鈥� he said. 鈥淧eople are starting to realize that Tennessee whiskey stands on its own.鈥�

While Fletcher credits Arnett and on-the-job training with achieving the title of master distiller, he also recognizes that his chemistry education at Tech helped instill in him the fundamental basics needed for distilling.

鈥淢y education from Tech certainly put me on a level at or above others,鈥� said Fletcher. 鈥淚 felt like I had the baseline knowledge of chemistry that I needed. When you get that first job out of school you have those hesitancies: Am I going to do a good job? Do I really know the things I need to know? I came into distilling through my education and through my technical background.鈥�

Fletcher says biochemistry with Jeff Boles and radiochemistry with Dale Ensor were two classes that had a big influence on him.  

鈥淢y freshman level chemistry professors also laid a great baseline,鈥� Fletcher added. 鈥淚f you understand those basic principles, that can take you a long way. It really can. It builds. Once I realized, that, that鈥檚 pretty powerful. My Tech education gave me the knowledge I needed to start down this path.鈥�