Meet the Templeton Rye team
Here’s a closer look at the hard-working team behind Templeton Rye.
Meryl & Keith Kerkhoff
LEFT: Meryl Kerkhoff. RIGHT: Keith Kerkhoff.
Meryl learned how to make Templeton Rye from his father Alphons. It was said that Alphons was the only person in Templeton who could carry two 100-lb. sacks a half mile (the distance assumed safe from the revenuers).
Meryl and his wife, Imelda, make their home in Manning, Iowa, where Meryl works as an auctioneer. Meryl was born in Templeton and graduated in the top seven in his class at Sacred Heart High School. He loves to give tours of the area and can tell you who owned what farm and who was “cookin’ whiskey” going back four generations.
Meryl is a veteran of the Korean War and father of seven. He is the Master Distiller at Templeton Rye.
Meryl’s son Keith, remembers Alphons heading out to make whiskey, and is meticulous about keeping up the quality production started by his grandfather. Keith was an All American defensive tackle at Buena Vista College and spent time with both the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears in the NFL.
Keith is also involved in the family auctioneering business and can light up a room with a funny story or magic trick. Keith is the Assistant Master Distiller at Templeton Rye.
Scott Bush
Scott also has roots in Templeton Rye as his great grandfather Frank used to make The Good Stuff outside of Odebolt, Iowa. His great-uncle Gus is featured on our website.
Scott grew up in Wall Lake, Iowa, and is a banker-turned-bootlegger, having worked for First Chicago/JP Morgan in Chicago and New York. His wife, Jessica, hails from Boston and they lived in Cambridge together for four years while Scott attended MIT. He was inspired to resurrect Templeton Rye based both on his family history with the product, and to fight the homogenization of the U.S. As Scott says, “People are drawn to great stories and great products that are unique. They are getting hard to find.”
Scott is the President of Templeton Rye and enjoys sports, reading and hanging out with his sons Adrian and Xavier.
Michael Killmer
Michael Killmer (AKA “Catfish”) has spent many years in the hospitality industry before and after attending Iowa State University. He is the Brand Manager at Templeton Rye and chances are, if you’ve ever been poured a sample of The Good Stuff, Michael was the one tipping the bottle.
Michael’s pride and joy is his yellow lab Dixie, who Michael trained as a stellar hunting companion. When he is not introducing the world to Templeton Rye, Michael is fond of hunting, Cyclone athletics, wine and gourmet cooking.
Jason Walsmith
Jason is kind of the unofficial historian of Templeton Rye and has collected many artifacts and stories about The Good Stuff. A lover of all things authentic, Jason got interested in Templeton Rye when he was introduced to the bootlegged version while touring with his band, The Nadas.
Jason is the Creative Director at Templeton Rye and has actually spent time rummaging through dusty city records and old hog houses in the area looking for signs of a still or old barrels. He actually wrote the song Templeton Rye prior to knowing anything about the resurrection of the brand, simply because he loved the story. Jason barely knows the difference between a football and a basketball, but is the only member of the TR team to ever have his picture in Playboy.
Jason Walsmith singing Templeton Rye:
Listen to Templeton Rye by The Nadas:
PHOTO CREDIT: Mandy Miller Photography.
Kevin Boersma
Kevin was runner-up in the Manning, Iowa, mayoral election several years ago despite not declaring as a candidate and receiving only write-in votes. He was once known as “Big Cat” around town, but for reasons unknown, his nickname has morphed into “Fat Cat” the last few years.
Kevin is the Distillery Manager at TR, a four handicap, and a huge Iowa Hawkeyes fan. He is also a staple at the VFW and Manning Bowling Alley.
April 17th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
[...] Hey guys. Killmer here, Brand Manager for Templeton Rye (Templeton Rye blog ? Meet the Templeton Rye team). I am not a big poster but just saw the thread about our supply and thought I would let you guys [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 11:57 am
May I please have from someone, the folks of the distillery or a blogger perhaps, the name of a store or an outlet or a way to directly purchase the lovely Templeton Rye INside the greater / wider Atlanta, Georgia, area? A telephone number or an email address for such a place, please?
I want to gift my child who lives there with such a bottle on his 28 September 2009, 30th! birthday — – yet am needing to not spend a blistering passel on shipping and handling to there from the Midwest — – so just want to find such a Georgian vendor so as to ask her or him to deliver the lovely bottleful to my kiddo …
? help, Anyone ?
Thank you kindly,
Blue
August 12th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Just wanted to thank you all for a fantastic party! Rock & Rye was a blast and the day turned out great. A bit warm, but the breeze and the superb liquid refreshments helped immensely! All of the entertainment was exceptional. I am looking forward to next year and the 3rd annual Rock & Rye event. See you at the fair, and thanks again!!
September 25th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Scott, if you recall about a year ago I met your team at the Greenbrier Restaurant in Johnston with two fellow National Guardsmen, LTC Greg Hapgood and MAJ Mike Wunn. Greg is currently deployed in Afghanistan as a Pubic Affairs Officer. Among his restrictions, all military personnel in country are not authorized to consume any alcoholic beverages period. Having just received an email from Greg, he said quote “Ron, you have no idea how bloody good Templeton Rye sounds right now…or any of a number of fine whiskies”. He returns in February 2010 and one of the things I was thinking about presenting him as he steps off the plane is a fine bottle of Templeton Rye. If you have any special presentation bottles or can personalize a bottle for Greg, let me know. If not that’s OK too, I’ll have a bottle for him anyway.
Thanks and keep up the great work,
COL (Ret) Ron Randazzo
November 18th, 2009 at 11:37 am
I live in the mountains in Colorado. How can I get some of the good stuff? My Grandfather Frank Klocke was born in Templeton, Iowa and later moved to North Dakota which is were I was born and raised. Please email me or call 970-485-2586. Thank you,
Merle M. Klocke
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Yes, it’s me again, one of your “walking - talking billboards”! Just wanted to thank Meryl and friends for stopping by one evening, as luck would have it, I was working late and my husband Ronnie (a major fan of the Good Stuff) was there helping prep for our annual event for the holidays! You would have thought Ronnie had met ZZ Top or Tom Petty or something! If you notice an increase in the attention of the Good Stuff in the west-central Iowa area (Logan, IA), I believe my husband and our friends may have a little something to do with it, as we personally have bought several bottles as presents and traveling taste-testers. It will be good to not have to figure out what to buy for special occasion gifts, TR has that covered! THANK YOU for being in Iowa and doing such a great job!
February 25th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
met keith and michael on your trip 2 chicago a couple months ago. i was your bartender @ redhead piano bar. it was a pleasure 2 meet u and hope 2 see you guys back soon
April 9th, 2010 at 11:58 am
I am the programming director for AAF-Dubuque and I am very interested in having Scott Bush come to Dubuque and give a presentation about the story of Templeton Rye.
Please contact me if interested.
April 17th, 2010 at 7:25 am
Is there any way an ‘Ole Marine Vet’ can acquire a bottle of your elixir in the State of New Hampshire?
It really would be nice.
Sincerely,
John J. Murawski
Loudon, NH
April 19th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
Thanks for putting Iowa on the map! We continue to share your story and The Good Stuff with friends and family alike. Our son even sent his Dad a bottle for Christmas to make sure our supply did not run out. He resorted to ordering it on-line, from Madrid Spain, where he has been living this past year.
I have added two more things to my bucket list- attending Rock and Rye this year and visiting Sborocco’s in Des Moines and trying Chef Meek’s Chocolate Walnut Torte. TR for dessert. Yum!
April 21st, 2010 at 7:55 pm
Got my first taste of TR at a Green Bay packer game back in December of 09.Was hooked from the git go and haven’t looked back.Taking a motorcycle trip to Alaska in June and having a good stash sent up to my cousins lodge north of Fairbanks so not to be without.
Also taking a bit with me so to wash the road out of my throat on the way up in the evenings while I camp and enjoy new friends along the way.Now only if I can come up with a way to get a little past the border on the way up!