Herman Beckley is the co-founder and original master distiller of Herman Marshall whiskey, and the “Herman” in its name. With his business partner Marshall Louis, he founded the company in Garland, Texas, in 2010, the first legal distillery in Dallas County since Prohibition. Every Herman Marshall recipe started with him.
From Indiana Cornfields to Computer Software
Herman grew up in Indiana surrounded by cornfields, which gave him an early eye for good grain. He spent his professional career in the computer software industry before whiskey took over.
Teaching Himself to Make Whiskey
When Herman met Marshall at a North Dallas Starbucks, neither of them knew much about making whiskey. Herman set out to learn the way distillers did it in the late 1700s and early 1800s, studying historical methods and copying them until the results were right. He spent roughly a decade refining the process, which he summed up as “trial and error, mostly error.” The first batches came out of his garage around 2004, and by 2008 he had the recipes Herman Marshall would be built on.
Built by Hand
Herman’s carpentry skills shaped the distillery. He hand-built open-top fermentation tanks from swamp cypress using old-fashioned hand tools, a deliberate return to tradition at a time when most distillers used closed steel tanks. He wanted a simple, uncomplicated process with no computerization, and a whiskey that tasted distinctly Texan. Herman and Marshall even developed their own yeast strain for fermentation.
Inside the Bottle
Herman was responsible for everything inside the bottle: grain, yeast, fermentation, distilling and aging. Under his direction, Herman Marshall Bourbon won a silver medal at the 2013 American Distilling Institute spirits competition. His last remaining barrels are now bottled as our 8-year Legacy Series Straight Bourbon and Legacy Series Cask Strength.
Herman Beckley Today
When Dry County Distilleries acquired Herman Marshall in late 2021, Herman stayed on as a distilling consultant, and the company kept his original recipes. Read how the brand got its name in How Herman Marshall Got Its Name.
Herman Beckley FAQ
Who is Herman Beckley?
Herman Beckley is the co-founder and original master distiller of Herman Marshall whiskey, and the “Herman” in the brand’s name.
How did Herman Beckley learn to make whiskey?
He taught himself by studying whiskey-making methods from the late 1700s and early 1800s, refining his recipes over about ten years of trial and error, starting in his garage.
Is Herman Beckley still involved with Herman Marshall?
Yes. After Dry County Distilleries acquired the brand in 2021, he stayed on as a distilling consultant, and his original recipes are still used.