When people think of a distiller, I know that I am probably not the image that comes to mind. In this special post, I’d like to talk about how I found myself working as a distiller in Hawick, Scotland. I’ll also offer tips and advice on how to become a distiller. So let’s get into it!
When I was about to graduate with my Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of British Columbia (UBC) I didn’t really know what I wanted to do afterwards. Around that time my dad came home and said that he had been listening to a radio interview of a female instructor from Kwantlen University’s Brewing and Brewery Operations program. The instructor, Nancy More, studied Microbiology at university and then applied to Labatt’s brewing internship. After her acceptance into the program, Nancy worked as a brewer at Labatt. She went on to help develop beers and breweries in Russia and Africa.
Nancy’s brewing career seemed so exciting, that I decided to apply to the Kwantlen Brewing and Brewery Operations diploma program. I started the program in September 2017, and it was incredibly different from my time at UBC. We had to brew beer in the university’s small brewery every other week. and the equipment was heavy, loud, and dusty. I didn’t really like it to be honest. Most of the time we were cleaning things, or attaching and detaching hoses to different valves. I liked being in class learning about the science of beer, but brewing beer was tiring and even a little boring.
Although I had my doubts I continued in the two year program. A few months before graduating, I became interested in distilling spirits. Distilling seemed mysterious and elegant, and I was curious about how stills worked.
I cold emailed a few local distilleries in British Columbia to see if I could volunteer at them. I didn’t hear back from any. So I decided to expand my search area. I’d always dreamed of working abroad after graduating. After doing some research I discovered that it was easy to get working holiday visas in countries such as Japan and England.
Both my older brothers were born in England, and my mom and dad had spent over a decade living there. I was the only member of my family who had never spent time in the United Kingdom, so I decided to send some cold emails to the UK.
Scotland was famous for scotch whisky, so I decided to target Scotch Whiskey distilleries. I found a list of Scotch Whisky distilleries on Wikipedia, and each night after school I emailed ten of them.
I had an excel spreadsheet to keep track of the distilleries I had emailed and what their responses were. Very rarely did distilleries answer my enquiries, and when they did it was always a rejection.
After a while, I felt silly sending out all these emails. It seemed like a huge waste of time. However, one night, I sent out an email and 10 minutes later somebody responded. He asked for my CV and then he referred me to the distillery manager for an interview.
After a few anxious weeks of communication, they sent over a one year work contract at The Borders Distillery. I couldn’t believe it! Soon after graduating from my program, I packed my bags and got on an airplane bound for Hawick, Scotland.
I ended up working at The Border’s Distillery for 14 months. Since my UK working visa was for two years, I cold emailed other UK distilleries to try and get other short work placements. I was able to get a three month work placement at a Welsh distillery and a three month work placement at a English distillery in Startford-upon-Avon. I finished with a one month work placement in Manchester.
Working at so many distilleries allowed me to learn how to make a greater variety of spirits. I learned how to distil whisky, gin, rum, and liqueurs.
Below are some of my tips (in no particular order) for how to become a distiller.
My Advice on How to Become A Distiller
Tip #1 Don’t be afraid to send cold emails!
I sent around 80 cold emails before getting a work placement at The Borders Distillery. In hindsight, this wasn’t a lot of emails to send. If you are interested in getting hands on work experience in the distilling industry, or any industry, then don’t be afraid to send out cold emails. Make a list of distilleries you are interested in volunteering or working at. Find the email addresses and phone numbers of the distillery managers or distillery owners and contact them! Don’t be too pushy though. You can start by sending an initial email, and then send a follow-up email after three business days. Send a final follow-up email after another three days.
Tip #2 Take a Distilling Course
Prove you are serious about becoming part of the industry by taking a course. Knowing distillery lingo such as “wash” and “spirit run”, will help prove that your are serious about distilling. It would be pretty annoying to have to explain every little term to a newbie. By doing some learning and research on your own time, you can have better conversations with people in the distilling course. I took the Institute of Brewing and Distilling’s (IBD) Distilling Diploma. I also created my own “Basics of Distilling Course” for those interested in learning more about the science of distilling.
Tip #3 Try Homebrewing
Home distilling is illegal in most countries, but home brewing is usually legal. Since distilling is closely related to brewing, many distillers start out as brewers and then transition into distillers. Having a good understanding of the brewing process will set you up for success as a distiller, since spirits are often distilled from beer-like liquids, You can get involved in homebrewing by checking out some books at the library and purchasing brewing equipment from a homebrew store. You can also connect with your local community of homebrewers by finding groups on Reddit, Facebook, or Meetup.
Tip #4 Make more Friends
Visit more distilleries and make friends with the people working there. People hire people that they like and trust. Making friends with distillery workers will make it easier for you to get your foot in the door. When a distilling position becomes available, you’ll come to mind, since people at the distillery will already know that you are interested in working there. You can also attend more distilling conferences to connect with others in the industry. If people don’t know you, or know that you are interested in working as a distiller, then how can they possibly hire you?
Tip #5 Do it Yourself
If you’ve tried your best and can’t find a distilling job, then you can always start your own distillery! I see many recently retired people, with no prior distilling experience, who start their own distilleries. It isn’t easy, but if your dream is to have your own brand of spirits, then you aren’t alone.
Tip #6 Keep Feeding Your Curiousity
Keep asking questions and feeding your curiousity. You can always make new flavour combinations and distil spirits differently. Don’t be afraid to experiment as a distiller, that’s what makes things fun!
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