Beam, Straight Up: The Bold Story of the First Family of Bourbon

Global Brand Ambassador, Master Distiller, and great-grandson of Jim Beam himself, Noe recounts both his own life and that of the family business. From his German immigrant origins to the dark times of Prohibition to the contemporary triumph of the Jim Beam brand, Noe employs a down-home style while sharing plenty of personal perspective. He describes his postcollege transition from working as a roadie for Hank Williams Jr. to becoming a bottling line worker. He relates his adventures on the road as company spokesperson, where he encounters such well-known personalities as race car driver Robby Gordon, basketball star Shaquille O'Neal, and rapper Kid Rock. Noe examines the importance of product innovation to the company's recent growth and expounds on a set of general business axioms, or "What Fred Noe Knows About Business." The book's many insets include advice on how to taste bourbon, the workings of a bourbon distillery, and what makes bourbon a unique spirit.