Herman Marshall is named after its two founders: Herman Beckley and Marshall Louis. The whiskey isn’t named for a pioneer distiller or a figure from Texas history. It takes its name from the first names of two friends who met at a Starbucks in North Dallas, discovered a shared interest in whiskey, and went on to open the first legal distillery in Dallas County since Prohibition.
Two Friends and a Coffee Shop
The story starts in a North Dallas Starbucks in the early 2000s. Herman Beckley, an Indiana native with a long career in computer software, got to talking with Marshall Louis, a Cape Town, South Africa native who had built a commercial construction business in Dallas. They were part of a group of friends who got together on weekends, and their coffee shop conversations about whiskey turned into friendly challenges, then into experiments.
Marshall was newly retired at the time, with plans to spend his days scuba diving and fishing. Whiskey had other plans.
From a Garage to Dallas County’s First Distillery
The pair made their first batches in Herman’s garage around 2004. By their own account, those early batches were awful. Herman went back to whiskey-making methods from the late 1700s and early 1800s and spent years refining the process, which he described as “trial and error, mostly error.” By 2008 they had a recipe they were proud of, along with their own strain of yeast.
In 2010 they founded Dallas Distilleries in Garland, Texas, which made Herman Marshall the first legal distillery in Dallas County since Prohibition. They let the whiskey rest in new charred American white oak barrels and brought Herman Marshall Bourbon to market in 2012. In 2013 it won a silver medal at the American Distilling Institute spirits competition.
Inside the Bottle and Outside the Bottle
The partnership worked because each founder owned half the job. Herman was responsible for everything inside the bottle: the grain, the yeast, fermentation, distilling and aging. Marshall was responsible for everything outside the bottle: packaging, marketing, distribution and keeping the business running. Putting both of their names on the label said exactly that. It takes both of them to make a bottle of Herman Marshall.
The HM Logo and Its Imperfect Circle
Look closely at the HM logo and you’ll notice the circle around the initials isn’t perfect. Asked why, Marshall’s answer was simple: “because life isn’t perfect.”
Herman Marshall Today
In late 2021, Herman Marshall was acquired by Dry County Distilleries, led by Clint Ecord and Ryan Hamar, who kept Herman’s original recipes. Herman stayed on as a distilling consultant, and operations moved from Garland to Wylie. Today you can taste the whiskey the two founders started at our tasting room at 121 N. Ballard Ave. in historic downtown Wylie. Read more in Our Story.
Herman Marshall Name FAQ
Who is Herman Marshall?
Herman Marshall isn’t one person. The name combines the first names of the brand’s two founders, Herman Beckley and Marshall Louis.
Who founded Herman Marshall whiskey?
Herman Beckley, the master distiller, and Marshall Louis, his business partner. They founded the company in Garland, Texas, in 2010.
Where did the founders of Herman Marshall meet?
At a Starbucks in North Dallas, where they discovered a shared interest in whiskey.
Who owns Herman Marshall now?
Dry County Distilleries acquired Herman Marshall in late 2021. Founder Herman Beckley stayed on as a distilling consultant, and the original recipes are still used.