Behind the whiskey / FILM 17 / 37 SECONDS
From Wine to Whiskey
Arts, farm work, wine—and an unexpected turn.
By Old Treasure · September 7, 2026
From our recorded conversations at Whiskey Thief.
BEHIND THE CONVERSATION
Arts, farm work, wine—and an unexpected turn.
Lisa’s route into whiskey started somewhere else entirely. She recalls working in the arts, then on a farm, then making wine in southern Indiana. A move to Kentucky brought another change.
Working with Steve Beam at Limestone Branch helped lead her into distilling. Told at Whiskey Thief, the story has the turns of a real working life: a move, a new responsibility, a skill that leads to another.
Read the full film transcript
So how did you get started with whiskey? I was a farm winemaker in southern Indiana, of all places. That's how I got started with whiskey. Yeah, I worked in the arts for years. And then 27 years ago, pivoted. I was first a farmhand and then went into making wine and then got hired to come to Kentucky to build a winery. And I got the bug to distill. The day I dropped my daughter off at college, I moved to Kentucky and then learned to distill faster than I thought. I ended up distilling for Steve Beam at Limestone Branch down in Lebanon, Kentucky, and then just been a crazy ride.
Story adapted from the accompanying filmed conversation. Guest makers describe their own experiences and methods; these are not production specifications for Old Treasure.
