Topic: A Sip of Knowledge with Nick Nagele, VP & COO of Whiskey Acres Distilling Company

Hosts: Lew Bryson and Liz Rhoades

What You’ll Learn: Join a duo of drink industry veterans in weekly conversation on whiskey, spirits, distilling, marketing, and the current state of the drink industry. This week, Nick Nagele, vice president and COO of Whiskey Acres Distilling Company, joins the group.

About Nick Nagele:

Nick Nagele is vice president and COO of Whiskey Acres Distilling Company in DeKalb, IL – Illinois’ first estate distillery. Along with his business partners Jim and Jamie Walter, Whiskey Acres grows all of the corn, wheat, rye & barley that they use for distilling. Three of their product earned Double Gold at the ’21 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, while two earned Double Platinum at Fred Minnick’s ‘21 ASCOT Awards.

Nick manages the daily operations and leads the sales and marketing at Whiskey Acres. He even gets to run the still and make whiskey every once in a while.  You’ll often find him hosting a tasting, leading a tour, filling bottles or pouring samples throughout Illinois.

Nick is also a fifth generation farmer and active in his family’s row crop farm in Sheldon, IL. He has worked as an Account Supervisor at Weber Shandwick Corporate Communications and a District Sales Manager for Syngenta Seeds.

He is a 2004 graduate of the University of Illinois with a BS in Agricultural and Environmental Communications and Education, and is an alumnus of the 2014 Illinois Agriculture Leadership Program.  Nick is an Eagle Scout, completed the 2011 Chicago Marathon and would like to golf a lot more than he does.

Nick lives in Batavia with his wife Amanda, and 5 yr old twins, Gunnar and Everly.

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.