Meet our crew: get to know the awesome humans that make Cardinal Spirits possible!

Jason Mattox. Photos by Anna Powell Denton — Jason Mattox. *Photos by Anna Powell Denton*

McKenzie (Kenzie) Vaughan

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distillery production assistant at Cardinal Spirits

@kenzievaughan96 on Instagram

pronouns: she/her

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Hi, Kenzie! Tell us about your role at Cardinal Spirits.

I am a production assistant. I started on the bottling line, but have been a production assistant for a year now. I do a bit of everything throughout the process of producing spirits; I help with fermentations, distillations, blending, bottling production, and of course cleaning every tri-clamp and gasket we own multiple times a day.

Where are you from? Where have you lived?

I am from a tiny town in Texas, but moved to Terre Haute, IN, when I was 13. I moved to Bloomington for my undergrad and have stayed in the area since.

Any pets or family you’d like to introduce?

I have a cute chubby cat named Oliver. He is the sweetest boy and loves a good belly rub. I also live with my partner, Graham, who is finishing up his masters at IU.

My cat Oliver enjoying the sun, he’s always laying belly up. —Kenzie — My cat Oliver enjoying the sun, he’s always laying belly up. *—Kenzie*

Tell us about a skill that you have outside of work.

I love to knit and I’m getting into photography.

I’ve gotten into photography recently and this is probably one of the best photos I’ve ever taken. This was at Glacier National Park. —Kenzie — I’ve gotten into photography recently and this is probably one of the best photos I’ve ever taken. This was at Glacier National Park. *—Kenzie*

Do you have a side hustle? What is it?

I don’t have a side hustle, but here are my hobbies/things I do outside of work for enjoyment: I love doing anything outside. Camping, hiking, running, and gardening are some of my favorite things. I hope to one day own my own farm!

Hiking in Grand Teton National Park. Fun fact, scrambled a mile up to this point and was scared to death, but the view was worth it! —Kenzie — Hiking in Grand Teton National Park. Fun fact, scrambled a mile up to this point and was scared to death, but the view was worth it! *—Kenzie*

What's your favorite Cardinal Spirits cocktail/spirit/dish?

Our Creekbend Brandy is my favorite spirit!

It’s happy hour. What are you drinking and/or eating?

Beer and some type of dip…probably spinach and artichoke.

Do you have any advice for people who want to make better drinks at home?

I found a website called cocktailbuilder.com that lets you input ingredients you have and it’ll give you recipes for drinks you can make. I have found it very useful when I don’t know what I am in the mood for.

What’s Cardinal’s best-kept secret?

Prince William (a purple, wacky inflatable arm man that belongs to our distiller Justin Hughey) — he can put a smile on anyone’s face.

What would surprise people about the work you do at Cardinal?

I think some people are surprised when I talk about dumping barrels and how much hard work goes into it. It is an exhausting process.

What’s your coffee order?

At home I drink it black, but if I am out I order a dirty chai.

Do you have any morning or end-of-day rituals you'd like to share?

I usually do yoga when I wake up or before bed, I journal in the mornings while I watch the news, and I have perfected my skin care routine so it’s now my favorite part of the day.

Favorite place on the Internet?

I have gotten really into Tik Tok; once your feed is curated to your interest and hobbies, it is an awesome platform that isn’t just for Gen Z.

Can you recommend a podcast, movie, book, TV show, album, subscription, etc. that you consumed recently and liked? We’re all looking for good recs right now!

Some of my favorite shows are: Adventure Time, His Dark Materials, Great British Baking Show, and Parks and Rec. My favorite podcast right now is Science Vs.

Go-to midnight snack?

A peanut butter fold over (one piece of bread, PB, fold it over – quick, easy, tasty)