Larry Ebersold

“Godfather of Rye Whiskey”

Larry Ebersold over his career has become known as the “godfather of rye whiskey”. Larry holds his Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Louisville attending there from 1967 and graduating in 1972.

Larry started working at a distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana in 1972 which at the time was under the ownership of Seagrams. Larry became the Master Distiller and held the title for 20 years at the distillery in a career spanning 38 years.

At this distillery Seagrams produced many different whiskies to produce their famous blended whiskey blends such as Seagrams 5 Crown American Whiskey and Seagrams 7 Crown American Whiskey. The Lawrenceburg, Indiana distillery has been in constant production since 1847 except during prohibition.

Since the Seagrams plant was typically producing whiskies for blending, they were typically high rye content with strong flavors so the flavor would carry through in their blends along with their sibling plant in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, the Four Roses Distillery.

Sometime in the 1990’s, Larry was tasked with coming up with a new high rye whiskey, so powerful that a small amount of it would come through in the blending along with grain neutral spirits and other whiskies. At first he tried 100% malted rye and Larry to this day believes it to have been some of the best he ever produced. But the accounting department requested him to never produce it again as the cost was very high.

In time he landed on what today is the very well known 95% rye and 5% malted barley. This mash bill in recent years has become immensely popular in many rye whiskies from many brands and the inspiration for numerous others.

In January 2001, Pernod Ricard purchased the Lawrenceburg, Indiana distillery and renamed it Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana or LDI. Larry continued on working at the distillery as the Master Distiller until his retirement in 2010.

During the LDI years at the distillery, the distillery changed focus from blended whiskies to contract distilling for other companies which continues to today. He retired shortly before the distillery again was sold to Midwest Grain Products of Indiana or MGP.

After retirement he founded a consulting service, Larry Ebersold, LLC., providing services of distillery process optimization. He has provided consulting services for many very well known distilleries such as New Riff, Sagamore Spirit, Rabbit Hole, Tarnished Truth, Smooth Ambler and Boone County Distilling. Larry also worked with Steve Nally at Bardstown Bourbon Company helping to develop many of their mashbills.

Larry’s products produced at the Lawrenceburg, Indiana distillery have gone on to be the backbone behind numerous brands in the industry such as Bulleit Rye, High West rye as well as countless bourbons and whiskies. Larry also helped his protégé and fellow famous MGP Master Distiller alumni Greg Metze who continued the traditions began by Larry at the Lawrenceburg, Indiana distillery today known as MGP.

In 2021 Larry was awarded one of 2 Impact awards from the American Whiskey Convention, the other was his former protégé Greg Metze.