The Women Of WhistlePig Pay It Forward With Whiskey Making Externship

Whiskey finished in Big Papi’s style of baseball bat. Whiskey inspired by the nine ancient Greek muses. Whiskey poured from a pig’s rear. These are only a few of the outrageous, yet premium, whiskeys that WhistlePig Whiskey released in just one year.

Led by a female whiskey-making team – head of whiskey development Liz Rhoades and head blender Meghan Ireland – WhistlePig has become one of the leading independent craft whiskey brands.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Rhoades and Ireland are leading a team of female industry disruptors to give young female spirits enthusiasts (age 21+) the opportunity to join them for a free, one week summer externship on the WhistlePig Whiskey Distillery and Farm to promote community and education for women in a male-dominated industry.

Joining in this endeavor are Freeland Spirits master distiller and partner Molly Troupe, Dr. Nicole Shriner who leads brewing and distilling program at Michigan State University, and Lindsay Barr, CSO and founding partner of DraughtLab Sensory Software to offer an immersive experience about craft distillation and maturation for three female students the week of Aug. 21-25. Applications are open starting today, March 8, 2023.

Located off the grid on a 500-acre Vermont farm, WhistlePig Whiskey is crafted by a new generation of whiskey distillers and blenders driven to reinvent and unlock the potential of whiskey. Through their rebellious pursuit of experimenting and pushing boundaries in the industry, WhistlePig is committed to becoming the best whiskey on and for the planet, starting with its locally sourced ingredients and sustainable supply chain and distilling process.

After finding her love for chemistry in high school, Ireland earned a Bachelors in chemical engineering from Clarkson University. During her freshman year she read an article in Whisky Advocate about a female chemical engineer turned master distiller, and immediately knew that she also wanted to apply science to the art of spirits.

Soon after college, she began her career in craft hard cider, then made the switch and joined WhistlePig in 2018 to produce their rye.

Ireland leads whiskey quality at WhistlePig, ensuring through careful testing and tasting that every barrel maintains its award-winning taste. She also directs the whiskey from barrel to bottle, and curates WhistlePig’s robust single barrel program, a treasure trove of cask strength whiskeys and experimental finishes that serve to incubate future WhistlePig innovation.

Rhoades is a technical distiller and self-proclaimed right-brained scientist, with over a decade’s experience in the alcoholic beverage industry. She holds her distiller diploma from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and has a M.S. in food and fermentation science from North Carolina State University. Although she has worked across categories, whiskey is her passion, with experience in both large established and start-up craft operations.

Having grown up among the cereal fields of Central Illinois, one of her favorite things about whiskey is its roots in agriculture, which makes WhistlePig such a natural fit. She spends her days leading the team on a variety of initiatives, from grain quality to distillation and blending operations, to imagining the next groundbreaking WhistlePig innovation.

For instance, last March the team launched the first of three iterations in the new single barrel Legends Series, beginning with David Ortiz “Big Papi” to launch the world’s first toasted baseball bat-finished whiskey.

The Boss Hog IX: Siren’s Song is inspired by Greek muses – mothers of creation and temptation – and marks the first release in which the cask finishes were crafted by WhistlePig Whiskey themselves.

Upholding The Boss Hog five promises – single barrel, bottled at proof, powerfully complex, distinctly unique from anything they have done before and stupendous – The Boss Hog IX: Siren’s Song is straight rye whiskey aged in American Oak and double cask finished in Greek fig nectar and WhistlePig’s own tentura, a liqueur produced in the Peloponnesian city of Patras created by WhistlePig on their Vermont farm using Greek ingredients including cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, orange peel and honey.

While notorious for pushing boundaries, WhistlePig dominates the premium rye category with 52% market share by value, and PiggyBack 100% rye is a fan favorite and brand staple. In December 2022, WhistlePig launched a commemorative limited edition, 10-year-old version, bottled at 110 proof in a 1-liter replica Berkshire Bitter Pig decanter that proudly pours from the rear.

Last month, WhistlePig launched PiggyBack 100 Proof Bourbon Whiskey nationwide. Representing the savory and sweeter sides of whiskey, respectively, WhistlePig PiggyBack 100% Rye and PiggyBack 100 Proof Bourbon are a great combination for any bar as they complement each other on any number of cocktails.

“The spirits industry is dominated by males, though women in spirits are emerging and revolutionizing the game,” says Rhoades.” In honor of International Women’s Day, we are offering the next generation of young female professionals the opportunity to learn more about the science behind spirits at the WhistlePig Farm & Distillery this summer. Sign up for a crash course and to explore career opportunities in spirits. Sharing is caring, and we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to learn!”