About

Welcome! I’m Miss Brewbird.

I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Degree in English Literature and then earned a Diploma in Brewing and Brewery Operations. In my final year of university, I wanted to expand my horizons and learn how spirits were produced, so I sent out many emails to distilleries in the United Kingdom until finally a distillery in Scotland replied to me and agreed to let me work there on a one year contract. I packed my bags and moved from Vancouver, Canada to Hawick, Scotland.

Afterward, I did short-term work placements at other distilleries in Wales and England to gain more first-hand experience on how to produce different spirits such as whisky, gin, rum, vodka, liqueur. I am currently working towards my Diploma in Distilling with the International Brewing and Distilling Institute. The posts and recipes on this site reflect what I have learned on my distilling and brewing journey thus far.

What You’ll Find Here

  • Stories and lessons from my life working as a distiller
  • Home recipes for brewed and distilled drinks
  • Detailed resources about brewing and distilling science
  • Podcast episodes with guests who work in the drinks industry
  • Awesome (if I do say so myself) YouTube videos that cover all the aforementioned points above!

FAQs

Are you professionally trained as a brewer and distiller?

I am a graduate of the Brewing and Brewery Operations program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and I am currently working towards my Distilling Diploma from the International Brewing and Distilling Institute.

Why do you call yourself Miss Brewbird?

I love birds. In fact, I was born in the Year of the Rooster so I guess that does kind of make me a bird. Also, I was an English Literature major so I do love a good play on words.

Who takes the photographs?

I take my own photographs, although I do throw in some free stock photos now and again. I was using a Canon EOS Rebel T3i, but I just switched over to a Sony A7i.

Who makes the YouTube videos?

I make my own videos, and let me tell you, it was a very steep learning curve.

How can I subscribe to Miss Brewbird?

That’s easy, just enter your email in the newsletter subscription box below. While you are at it, I’d love it if you’d subscribe to my YouTube channel too (I’m much more charming in video form).

How can I contact you?

If you have a specific question about a certain post, it is best to leave it in the comment section of that post. If you have a general question then you can use the contact form below or email me directly at brewbird.contact@gmail.com. I try to respond to all questions and emails in 3-4 days.

Can I republish your pictures or posts on my blog?

Sure, please just provide attribution and link to my original post.

Still Curious? Here’s a Bit More About Me

  • I was born in British Columbia, Canada, but my family is originally from Hong Kong.
  • I consider myself to be a social introvert. If you see me out in the wild, I may appear to be outgoing and sociable, but just know that I spend most of my time in hibernation, puttering about the house in my comfy clothes.
  • Without a doubt, I am much better at cooking and baking than I am at brewing and distilling. Good food is everything.
  • For a very short while, I had a soap business where I made and sold handmade soaps. The soaps were made with craft beer, so I called the business “Brewbird Soaps”, which is actually where the name Brewbird comes from.
  • Once when I was taking a stroll outside, I found a beautiful Himalayan cat sitting in a tree. The cat was wearing no visible tags, so I took her home with me. We ended up adopting her and her name is Mao Mao (Cantonese for kitty). She is basically our princess.
  • One of my dreams is to move to Japan and work there, I hope I can make it happen soon.

Contact Me