Kevin McLaughlin

“The Barrelmaker’s Way”

Born on December 22, 1963, in Glasgow, Scotland, Kevin Edward McLaughlin entered a world rich in craftsmanship and tradition. He was the son of Ed and Mary McLaughlin, and part of a family devoted to barrel making, having inherited a legacy firmly rooted in the art of coopering.

Growing up amidst the scent of wood and the rhythm of coopers at work, Kevin absorbed a deep respect for time-tested methods and meticulous precision. His father, Ed, had founded Kelvin Cooperage in Glasgow in 1963, just a few months before Kevin’s birth, after completing an intensive five-year apprenticeship along the banks of the River Kelvin. In the 1980s, Kevin moved with his family to the United States, part of a strategic shift by Kelvin Cooperage toward the heart of bourbon country, Louisville, Kentucky. This relocation, which would come to define the next chapter of the family business, positioned them near prime American oak and emerging bourbon markets.

Following in his father’s and elder brother’s footsteps, Kevin pursued higher education, enrolling at Pepperdine University in California. There, he distinguished himself not in woodwork, but on the golf course, becoming captain of the collegiate golf team and demonstrating leadership in a quieter, competitive arena. He graduated from Pepperdine in 1988. Just three years later, in 1991, Kevin, or better put, the McLaughlin brothers, set down roots in Louisville. Tasked with initiating Kelvin Cooperage’s operations in Kentucky, Kevin blended tradition with ambition, helping to transplant the old-world spirit of cooperage into the burgeoning bourbon industry.

Under the leadership of Kevin and his brother Paul, the cooperage stayed true to its heritage: hands-on craftsmanship, wood-fire toasting and charring, and uncompromising quality. They resisted automation and timers, trusting skilled coopers who could identify the perfect char by sight, smell, and instinct. The cooperage handled both new barrel production and inspection/repair of used barrels, exporting them globally while expanding service to bourbon and wine producers in the U.S.

Beyond his professional life, Kevin maintained a strong passion for golf. He remained a competitive player throughout his years in Louisville, winning club championships multiple times at both Hunting Creek Country Club and Persimmon Ridge Golf Club. Remarkably, he claimed the club championship at Hunting Creek a striking twenty times.

Kevin’s personal life was marked by devotion to his family. He is remembered as a loving husband of 20 years to Amy DeWeese McLaughlin and a devoted father to their two sons, Kyle Edward and Charles Ian. He found his greatest joy not just in swing or stave, but "inside his own home, with his wife and sons," holding court with friends and family, sharing his wisdom and warmth with those who gathered there.

In 2019, after a ten-month battle with cancer, Kevin passed away peacefully on December 27, surrounded by his family. He was 56 years old. The impact of his loss extended beyond the cooperage; it resonated through golfing circles, family networks, and across the spirits community.

As a tribute, Four Gate Whiskey Company released a special limited-edition bourbon called “Eagle Thief,” honoring Kevin’s legacy. The name subtly nods to both his reputation as a +2 handicap golfer (“eagle”) and the cooper’s whiskey thief used to sample barrels. The label included his birth and passing years, his initials, and even the proof (122.7°, echoing December 27), and the proceeds supported his charity of choice, the West End School of Louisville. 

In the years that followed, Kelvin Cooperage continued to evolve. In 2023, the cooperage was acquired by the French-based Charlois Group (through its subsidiary Oak Nation), while maintaining continuity under Paul McLaughlin’s leadership. The move positioned the cooperage for expanded reach without sacrificing the craftsmanship Kevin cherished. To this day, Kevin McLaughlin’s legacy lives through every hoop fitted, every char judged by wood-smoke, and every barrel shipped onward to age some distiller’s greatest dream, a fitting tribute to the man who had helped make so many of those dreams come true in life.

Sources

  1. Legacy Obituary and Tribute Archive, Kevin Edward McLaughlin, January 1, 2020.

  2. bourbonveach.com, “Kelvin Cooperage: Doing Things Differently”, April 30, 2018

  3. Woodshop News, “Kelvin Cooperage,” Jennifer Hicks, July 19, 2010

  4. Four Gate Whiskey “Eagle Thief” tribute details, fourgatewhiskey.com

Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee