FRANKFORT, Ky - Some bourbon legends are lucky enough to be immortalized on bottles and advertisements. However, many pioneers in the industry, particularly those of color, blazed paths with little recognition.

Freddie Johnson, a particularly smiley Buffalo Trace employee, has gained a following for his work while carrying a rich family tradition and inspiring future generations.

The third-generation African-American bourbon worker has been artfully presenting the history of Buffalo Trace for 17 years. His tours don’t sound rehearsed because they aren’t. They’re told with the flow and confidence of someone whose father and grandfather helped create some of the most iconic spirits in the world. They did it all under a less-than-welcoming racial climate in the United States and, surely, Kentucky.

“In this industry it didn’t matter about what color you were,” Freddie said as he leaned on a bar in the expansive visitors center. “It was your integrity that mattered.”

The engineer-by-trade is also helping to inspire the next generation of African-American bourbon lovers, like Robert Beatty.

“Being able to walk behind him on a tour, I walked out a different person,” Beatty said as he shook his head. “Not only about the bourbon industry, but he brings a very personal touch to it.”

In December, Beatty founded the Kentucky Black Bourbon Guild, a group which learns more about enjoying the spirit, but also digs through hundreds of pages of records to shed light on pioneers of color, previously unknown to many.

Pioneers like the Johnsons; three generations strong, and still pouring.