Master Distiller

A Master Distiller is the senior expert responsible for the creation, production, quality, and consistency of a distilled spirit such as whiskey, bourbon, rye, vodka, rum, or gin.

Typical responsibilities include:

• Selecting and developing recipes — choosing grains, fermentation ingredients, yeast, and other components.
• Overseeing fermentation and distillation — determining how the spirit is fermented, distilled, and cut between heads, hearts, and tails.
• Managing aging and maturation — selecting barrels, determining aging conditions, and monitoring how the spirit develops.
• Blending — combining different barrels or batches to achieve a particular flavor profile and consistency.
• Quality control — tasting and evaluating spirits throughout production to ensure they meet the distillery's standards.
• Product development — creating new expressions and refining existing products.
• Maintaining the distillery's style — ensuring that each release reflects the character and standards associated with the brand.
• Training and supervising production staff and often working closely with cooperages, suppliers, and regulatory authorities.

In simple terms, the Master Distiller is to a distillery what an executive chef is to a high-end restaurant: the person ultimately responsible for the character, quality, and consistency of what comes out of the operation.

Pay: $32.21 - $38.79 per hour

Work Location: In person