Macon-area veteran featured on Evan Williams bourbon bottle. Here’s her story

She’s a veteran from Kathleen who served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force.

Now, you can catch her on a bottle of Evan Williams.

Yes, you read that right.

So, who is she?

Mandy Hazelton grew up learning the Air Force from her dad who served before her. She completed the ROTC program in high school and upon graduating, she decided to enlist in the Air Force.

Hazelton began as an apprentice at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, then served as a U.S. Air Force medical technician at multiple locations such as Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, Ramstein Air Base in Germany and Robins Air Force Base in Georgia.

Hazelton has served 20 years in the Air Force and is currently ranked as a superintendent in the 78th Healthcare Operations Squadron.

However, Hazelton’s passion for and dedication to the military didn’t stop there.

After coming back home, Hazelton wanted to give back to the community and help fellow women veterans because she saw how hard it was for them to get jobs, housing and mental health support.

So, she discovered Genesis Joy House, an organization that helps homeless female veterans. Hazelton is now a board member of Genesis Joy House and spends much of her time assisting with marketing and public relations.

The organization has helped more than 2,000 women in Georgia find support, housing assistance and develop skills for the future.

All of this and more is why Hazelton is one of six veterans who can be seen on a special edition Evan Williams Bourbon bottle.

“As the second-largest selling bourbon in the world, we are proud to honor the 2023 American-Made Heroes, who have served our country with courage and dedication,” said Molly Vincent, Evan Williams Bourbon senior brand manager.

The special 1783 Small Batch Bourbon has each veteran featured on a hangtag that adorns more than 135,000 bottles nationwide.

“The purpose of the foundation is not only to provide a platform for sharing their inspiring stories, but also raising public awareness for causes impacting the veteran community and supporting nonprofit organizations that help veterans and their families,” Vincent said.

Purchase a 750ml or 1.75L bottle of the special edition bottle to see all six honorees.

This story was originally published June 16, 2023 at 1:31 PM.

Chelsea Madden

The Telegraph

Chelsea is a service journalism reporter who began working for McClatchy in 2022. She was born and raised in Middle Georgia and lives in Forsyth. She attended Wesleyan College for undergrad and a few years after that, went to SCAD for an MFA in writing. Outside of work, Chelsea likes to watch Netflix, read books in the thriller genre and chase her toddler around.