Whisky Advocate: Heaven Hill’s Max Shapira And Kate Latts On The Opportunities Ahead
For nine decades, Heaven Hill has turned challenges into opportunities, building America’s largest independent, family-owned distillery from a Depression-era startup with no inventory, no warehouses, and remarkably, no brands. As the country’s second-largest holder of Bourbon barrels marks its 90th anniversary, Heaven Hill executive chairman Max Shapira and his daughter, Kate Latts, the company’s co-president, are doing what their family has done best for three generations of leadership: taking the long-term view.
Industry alarmists cite decreased consumption habits by younger drinkers, the cooling of the Bourbon category, and agave’s steady rise. The Shapiras have seen similar cycles before; Max has been with the company for 55 years. Heaven Hill just opened Heaven Hill Springs, a new $200 million distillery in Bardstown, doubling down on Bourbon’s staying power while continuing to evolve the company’s Tequila pipeline through its Tequila Ocho and Lunazul brands.
In this Q&A with Whisky Advocate, Shapira and Latts discuss the big wins and losses, the patience that defined Latts’ grandfather’s generation, the forecasting challenges that remain murky, and why they remain bullish on bourbon’s future.
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