UK’s Estate Whiskey Alliance® announces 1st awardees in research grant program
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 18, 2025) — The University of Kentucky’s Estate Whiskey Alliance® (EWA) has announced the first awardees of its research grant program.
Research projects focus on agriculture, manufacturing and terroir (the interplay of environment, farming practices and raw material characteristics) to shape the future of estate whiskey production.
Estate whiskey is produced entirely on the distillery estate using grains sourced from the estate or local to that site.
Two projects led by researchers in the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment were selected:
- Harmonie Bettenhausen, Ph.D., “Exploring Regional Terroir in Kentucky-Grown Barley for Single Malt Whiskey Production”
- Tracy Lu, Ph.D., and Min-Young Lee, Ph.D., “Consumer Perceptions of Certified Estate Whiskeys: Marketing Insights for Sustainable Branding”
“Selecting these first two research projects reflects our commitment to advancing estate whiskey by uniting innovation with tradition,” said Landon Borders, EWA director. “From studying how land, grain and climate shape a whiskey’s character to understanding how certification builds consumer trust, we’re helping ensure the legacy of estate whiskey thrives worldwide for generations to come.”
The alliance brings whiskey producers, farmers, suppliers, academic institutions and other related organizations together as members. The EWA Research and Education Committee set the priorities for this research program.
The selected projects focus on opposite ends of the estate whiskey production cycle, from the grains to the consumer.
The science behind estate whiskey
Bettenhausen, faculty lecturer at the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits, is leading a project on terroir in winter barley used for single malt whiskey production.
This research team includes researchers from the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. The team will also work with Walnut Grove Farms, Maker’s Mark’s Star Hill Farm and Riverbend Malthouse.
Researchers will analyze two barley varieties grown at three distinct Kentucky locations, then process them through malting, distillation and conduct sensory and metabolomics analysis to link environmental factors to whiskey flavor.
“This project directly supports EWA’s mission by connecting Kentucky-grown grain to distinctive estate whiskey character, offering clear value to growers, distillers and consumers,” said Bettenhausen. “This work will also address a knowledge gap on barley and advance the science behind estate whiskey.”
Investigating consumer perceptions
The other selected project will focus on what happens once Estate Whiskey Certified™ products are on the shelves.
Lu, an associate professor in the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management, and Lee, department chair, will investigate consumer perceptions to understand how certification labels impact consumer trust, purchasing behavior and marketing effectiveness.
The team will conduct focus groups and surveys and use eye-tracking technology to develop actionable marketing recommendations and educational tools for the estate whiskey sector.
“Certification and transparency are growing priorities for consumers, yet little is known about how these labels affect consumer decision-making in the estate whiskey sector,” Lu said. “This study will be the first to link consumer perceptions to marketing outcomes for this product.”
Lu and Lee are collaborating with Old 55 Distillery in Newtown, Indiana, and Whiskey Acres Distilling Co. in DeKalb, Illinois, on this project. The distilleries will help recruit participants and will pilot the resources created from this study to help further shape them for other EWA members.
“Our long-term goal with this study is to support the relationship between consumer and estate whiskey producer,” Lee said. “We are fostering collaboration between researchers, producers and consumers. Such collaboration will provide valuable insights that can shape both product strategy and industry education for years to come.”
Visit estatewhiskey.org to learn how to become an EWA member, get products Estate Whiskey Certified and find a list of current certified products.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.