Interview: Tommy Byrne, the Midleton Distillery educator.
For this Q&A I wanted to find out all about what Tommy Byrne does at the Irish Whiskey Academy and learn a little bit more about the man himself.
I read that you worked as an International Whiskey Ambassador before becoming The Irish Whiskey Academy tutor? Could you please elaborate on how this came about?
I actually started my Irish Distillers career working as a Brand Ambassador in Jameson Distillery Midleton. I had visited the Distillery years before as a fan and thought it would be a cool place to work so when I saw the job posting online I immediately applied. In that role I conducted tours and hosted whiskey tastings and really enjoyed the buzz and getting to meet people from all over the world. After almost 3 years in that role the opportunity to become Midleton’s International Whiskey Ambassador and Academy Tutor came up and I suppose the rest is history.
Can you explain your work as an Irish Whiskey Academy educator and your day-to-day responsibilities to those who are unfamiliar?
The Academy is the educational centre for Irish Distillers, located at Midleton Distillery. As the Academy tutor, I host groups for a full day of education on the whiskey production process. The groups which attend the Academy come with various whiskey knowledge, so their educational needs can vary based on this. I also act as the main liaison for my colleagues within Irish Distillers for supplying information on the production process and the whiskeys themselves so I do spend a bit of time behind a computer answering these queries. The second part of my role is as International Whiskey Ambassador so on that side of things I host seminars, tastings, attend trade fairs in Ireland and around the world, which I love, as it’s a nice contrast with my day-to-day.
So, prior to being the Academy tutor, you were already quite knowledgeable about Irish Whiskey; what was it about teaching then that appealed to you, and what is it about the work you do now that you love so much?
I realised from hosting tours and whiskey tastings as a Brand Ambassador that I loved when people probed me with tough questions on the production process and the whiskeys. I really enjoyed looking into the more detailed side of things, at why exactly a whiskey tasted the way it did, so I took in as much information as possible. As you know, a visit to Midleton Distillery is the equivalent of a trip to Disneyland for whiskey fans so I love being able to share my knowledge and bring them behind the scenes of the distillery as I can see how much they enjoy it.
What are some of the most common demographics of groups or teams you teach either publicly or privately? For example, would you teach a class of bartenders or whiskey connoisseurs?
The great thing about teaching in the Academy is that I get to meet people from all over the world and from many different backgrounds.
Internally, I am involved in the education of anyone who works with our brands, be it colleagues from within Irish Distillers or Pernod Ricard or any partners we are working with. These groups always have interesting insights as they will approach the information from the point of view of their own professional field of expertise. A massive part of our business is educating bartenders from all over the world on our brands. I love these bartender groups because they are generally whiskey fans themselves but also deal with whiskey fans in their own workplace, so I love hearing about how they spread their passion around the world.
The final key group then would be the whiskey connoisseurs who book spots on one of our monthly Academies. These groups generally have infectious enthusiasm for being at the distillery and learning about the whiskeys so it’s such a pleasure for me to be hosting them. It’s great for me to interact with people from such varied backgrounds because I always have something to take away from their own point of view on the industry or the whiskeys.
How did you maintain your teaching schedule when the rest of the world was under lockdowns due to COVID-19? Was it done via a virtual course or another form, and have you still used those strategies, or have you returned to your standard in-house delivery style?
In response to COVID we developed an interactive virtual Academy offering where we posted out a kit to attendees in advance which contained grain, spirit, a barrel stave and whiskey samples. Over the course of 3 hours, I talked through the production process with the aid of a bespoke presentation and my own set of the kit elements. Overall, the feedback was really positive and thankfully the virtual offering enabled us to stay connected and active at the time. However, we’re delighted to be back hosting in person Academy experiences again.
What can visitors expect when they come to the distillery and, more importantly, enrol in one of your Irish Whiskey Academy courses?
If you attend the Academy, you can expect a full day of education on the whiskey making process. To keep the day as educational and as interesting as possible there is a mix of traditional education using blackboards and AVs and hands on education through samplings of grains, spirits and component whiskey samples that you can’t taste elsewhere.
Our Academy groups also visit parts of the working distillery which are not normally open to members of the public. Attendees can expect to visit our experimental Micro Distillery, our Garden Stillhouse (which has the largest working pot stills in the world) and one of our maturation warehouses.
On departure attendees also receive a unique gift of a limited-edition Academy bottle of whiskey and book, neither of which are on general sale.
What are the benefits of teaching at the distillery, in your opinion, and why is it critical to be genuine, open, and transparent when doing so at the Irish Whiskey Academy?
I think that being located on-site at the distillery is a key part of the appeal and success of the Academy. As mentioned already, having access to parts of the working distillery is an attraction in its own right but, from a teaching point of view, after talking through the theory of a particular part of whiskey, its great to be able to reinforce that knowledge by then seeing the process in the flesh. Another bonus is that we are surrounded by almost 200 years of distilling heritage in Midleton. I think being able to see how much of the process remains the same, when you see the old pot stills for example, reinforces the history and the prestige of the process and the brands themselves.
What is your favourite Irish whiskey among the distillerys enormous inventory and variety of brands, and why?
That’s like asking someone who their favourite child is! If I had to choose one though I would say Redbreast 27 Year Old, it’s a great example of the versatility of Midleton Distillery. You have the impact of our three pot still spirit styles providing fruity, spicy and oily character enhanced with Bourbon, Sherry and Port Cask maturation. I think it’s about as close to a perfect whiskey as you can get.
What do you do to unwind when you’re not working? Do you have any passions outside of the company?
If I’m at home I love reading and I’ve played guitar for almost 20 years., iIf I’m outdoors I love to go walking and swimming. I’m a big fan of local traditional pubs and I love to travel too whether it’s within Ireland or abroad.
Thank you very much, Tommy, for his time and everyone else who helped make this interview possible.
Click to find out more information about: Irish Distillers
For more information see: Irish Whiskey Academy
