Even Kulsveen, 79, of Bardstown, died Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Lexington. He was a pioneer, and a beloved husband, father, and grandfather.
He and his wife built a life and legacy defined by love, perseverance, and an enduring commitment to family and tradition. He established a legacy in American Whiskey after resurrecting the Willett Distillery and became a pioneer in the renaissance of American Whiskey. He helped sustain and then grow the category throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
He was born in Hamar, Norway and grew up along the banks of Lake Mjøsa. He emigrated alone to the United States, beginning a journey that would take him sailing as a merchant marine, honing his culinary skills as a chef, making homemade bloody mary mix behind the bar, and working as a fine decanter craftsman. These experiences nurtured his appreciation for artistry, craftsmanship, and worldliness—qualities that would later define his approach to Bourbon.
In 1972, Even married Martha Willett, a Kentucky native and descendant of the Willett distilling family.
Their marriage represented both a union of love, heritage, and vision. After the Willett Distillery closed in the late 1970s amid industry decline, he saw an opportunity to revive it. In 1984, they purchased the property and founded Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Ltd. He and his wife leveraged existing bourbon stocks, embraced creative packaging, and opened export markets, sustaining the family business during a period when American whiskey struggled amid growing diversification in beverage alcohol.
His perseverance paid off as Bourbon’s fortunes rebounded throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In resurrecting the family and distillery legacy, he returned distilling to the family property in 2012,
alongside his daughter, Britt, president and Chief Whiskey Officer of Willett Distillery, and his son, Drew, master distiller and Chief Operations Officer. The family’s business philosophy balanced respect for tradition with an openness to innovation, ensuring that Willett’s whiskeys resonated with both connoisseurs and new generations of Bourbon drinkers.
The Bourbon community widely recognized his contributions. In 2019, he was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame and received the Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. Upon induction, his peers acknowledged a principled work ethic, keen business sense, and ability to foresee global demand well before the Bourbon boom took hold.
Beyond business, he was admired for his humility, warmth, and generosity. In later years, he could often be found at The Bar at Willett, sharing stories through his singular dry Norwegian humor to the many visitors to Bourbon Country over cheesecake.
Likewise, he and the family supported charitable causes close to their hearts, including veterans affairs, cancer research, and more.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Martha Willett Kulsveen.
He is survived by his children, grandchildren, and the Willett Distillery family.
The Funeral Mass is 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral.
Donations in lieu of flowers can be made in his name to the Medicinal Whiskey Charity and the American Cancer Society.
The Houghlin-Greenwell Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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