Dee Ford of Angel’s Envy Distillery on Whiskey Row in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, is an international beacon of Bourbon hospitality. Ford’s vision, experience and leadership have catapulted Angel’s Envy and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® into an international, bucket-list tourism attraction. Since 2014, she’s served as Chair of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail Committee, earning the respect of her peers and sharing best practices that have leveraged hospitality to elevate Kentucky Bourbon on the global stage.
“It’s not just transactional, hospitality is reciprocal. It’s how we take care of one another. Finding gratitude is at the heart of hospitality.”
~ Dee Ford Brand Home General Manager Angel’s Envy Distillery
Watch the video to hear all about how Dee Ford has had a profound impact not just on her Angel’s Envy homeplace but the Kentucky Bourbon Trail experience as a whole.
- Introduction by Kentucky Distillers’ Association President Eric Gregory
- Jeff Crowe Heaven Hill Distillery’s Director of Kentucky Experiences introduces his friend Dee Ford.
- Dee Ford talks about growing up with a hospitality state of mind and how that impacted all her days on homeplace manager on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
“It’s only fitting that our next inductee is being honored in the same year that we are celebrating the KDA’s 25th anniversary of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail program because without Dee Ford, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail would not be the global bucket list experience that it is today,” stated Kentucky Distillers’ Association President Eric Gregory. “Dee has chaired our Kentucky Bourbon Trail advisory panel for all but one of the last 13 years, elevating our amber adventure and earning the respect of her peers, worldwide.”
“What is hospitality?” asks Dee Ford. “For me, it’s about recognizing the profound impact we have on others and embracing our actions with generosity. It’s both that simple and that complex. True hospitality stems from an others centered mindset. Constantly asking ourselves how is what we are offering being received?
“Throughout my career from culinary experiences to the bourbon industry my passion has been guiding my team to prioritize creative, thoughtful experiences. Each one of us has the opportunity to share our best practices and by doing so we can continue to leverage hospitality to elevate Kentucky bourbon for all of our visitors.”
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The 2024 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame Welcomes Dee Ford – Angel’s Envy Distilling Co.
Dee Ford, 59, Louisville. An international beacon of Bourbon hospitality. Ford’s vision, experience and leadership have catapulted Angel’s Envy and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® into an international, bucket-list tourism attraction. Since 2014, she’s served as Chair of the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Committee, earning the respect of her peers and sharing best practices that have leveraged hospitality to elevate Kentucky Bourbon on the global stage.
Dee Ford knows how to bring out the best in people.
Her approach to hospitality is more than just genuine, it’s integral to her place in the world. Inspiring and motivating her team, solving problems by bringing together different perspectives, or showing guests an experience that welcomes them in and leaves them knowledgeable and empowered, she’s built her career around creating moments that matter.
For years, she worked under and alongside some of the most notable chefs in Kentucky, working in restaurants and building a successful catering business before transitioning into brand home management at a prominent Kentucky distillery, where she led the strategy and operations.
Now in her eighth year with Louisville Distilling Company, Dee’s tireless efforts have made Angel’s Envy Distillery the leader in experiential bourbon tourism, continually ranked among the top visitor attractions in Louisville. Dee oversees the Distillery’s entire visitor strategy, including multiple tour programs, retail, community relations, marketing, and events. A woman that knows how to bring people together, she led the cross functional team responsible for the brand home’s recent expansion, including new tasting and event spaces, a premium bar and the Bottle Your Own hands-on Angel’s Envy Single Barrel experience. Today, Dee and the Angel’s Envy Distillery team welcome over 184,000 guests a year into their home. Her achievements were recognized with the 2024 Icons of Whiskey Visitor Attraction Manager of the Year award.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Louisville and is also a graduate of the Washington School of Protocol. Dee is Chairwoman of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Advisory Panel and a member of Bacardi’s Women in Leadership Initiative. Since 2014, she’s served as Chair of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, sharing best practices that have leveraged hospitality to elevate the profile of Kentucky bourbon on the international stage.
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