Victoria Eady Butler is a force of nature in the whiskey blending world. A descendant of Nearest Green, Butler had barely retired from her decades-long career in law enforcement before embarking on her new passion project, blending whiskey for the Uncle Nearest brand. Her passion project soon turned into a new career path, one she had never considered before. Today she is the Master Blender for Nearest Green Whiskey, known for her love of cinnamon spice notes in her blends.

BW: When did you realize that you were about to embark on a second career in the distilled spirits industry? 

VEB: It was January 2019; following a couple of conversations with our CEO/Founder, Fawn Weaver.

BW: What does a typical day on the job look like for you? 

VEB: Every day is different. That’s one of the many things I love most about my role. One day I’m blending whiskey and the next day I may be speaking at a country club breakfast.

BW: What is something people might not know about blending whiskey? 

VEB: It doesn’t have to be done according to the industry standard.

BW: What advice do you have for women who want to work in the whiskey industry? 

VEB: If fear is what’s holding you back, put it aside and go for it.

BW: Tell me about your perfect Tennessee whiskey weekend. 

VEB: My most recent perfect Tennessee weekend was the weekend of Juneteenth. That is the day we reopened the Nearest Green Distillery to guests after being closed for fifteen months due to the pandemic. I was like a kid on Christmas morning the entire weekend. I missed our whiskey family!