Topic: A Sip of Knowledge: Fionnán O’Connor on Irish Whiskey

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, Fionnán O’Connor joins the group to discuss Irish whiskey.

About Fionnán: Fionnán O’Connor is an independent whiskey writer living in Dublin. His book A Glass Apart was published in October 2015 and hailed by The Irish Times as the definitive guide to Irish single pot still whiskey. He has served as a consultant and lecturer for distilleries across Ireland, represented Irish whiskey on the boards of several global spirits education programs and in 2018 was awarded a full time PhD grant by the Irish Research Council to investigate the potential of lost historical mash bills in driving innovation in contemporary Irish distilling. At the 2020 Icons of Whisky Awards he was the first recipient of the Irish Whiskey Communicator of the Year award and he continues to contribute articles to books and magazines across the trade.

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.