Topic: A Sip of Knowledge with Dr. Don Livermore, Master Blender at Hiram Walker & Sons

Hosts: Liz Rhoades, Lew Bryson, & Martin Duffy

What You’ll Learn: Join a trio of drink industry veterans in weekly conversation on whiskey, spirits, distilling, marketing and the current state of the drink industry. This week, Dr. Don Livermore, master blender at Hiram Walker & Sons, joins the group.

About Dr. Don Livermore: 

Dr. Don Livermore is the Master Blender of Hiram Walker & Sons Limited in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He is responsible for some of Canada’s award-winning whiskies such as JP Wiser’s, Lot 40, Pike Creek, and Gooderham & Worts. After graduation in 1996 from the University of Waterloo with a degree in microbiology, Don started his career in the distillery as a lab technician. At that time Don was a pioneer in developing techniques using NIR for fermentation analysis. This transformed how the distilling industry monitored fermentations
and distillery processes. He wrote a chapter in the Alcohol Textbook 4th Edition and in the World Wide Distilled Spirits Conference in 2012 on the topic of NIR and has spoken around the world in this area of expertise. 

Don furthered his education by completing a MSc and PhD in Brewing in Distilling at Heriot Watt University with a focus on how wood interacts with whisky. In 2012, he became the Master Blender of Hiram Walker Distillery and in 2019 and in 2020 he won the Canadian Whisky Master Blender of the Year at the Canadian Whisky Awards. 

Today, Don is a sought-after speaker on Canadian Whisky as he brings together all facets of distillery operations and maturation processes and how flavours are developed in whisky. He created the Canadian Whisky Flavour Wheel © which is a unique perspective on blending whisky.

About the Hosts: 

• Liz Rhoades, founder of Spirit Safe Consulting, former research scientist for DIAGEO, distilling consultant, spirits writer for The Whiskey Wash & presenter.

• Lew Bryson, former managing editor for Whisky Advocate Magazine for 20 years, whiskey author, beer/whiskey writer and presenter.

• Martin Duffy, former DIAGEO Master of Whisky for the Midwest, DIAGEO Reserve Brand Ambassador for The Republic of Ireland, North American Brand Representative for Glencairn Crystal.