Whiskey is often a family business. Whether its distilled in Islay, Bardstown or Dublin, generations have handed down the tried and true tradition of making this spirit that warms both hearts and souls. That is the case with Tipperary Distillery.
Father and daughter duo Stuart and Jennifer Nickerson (along with her husband Liam Ahern) launched the boutique single malt Irish Whiskey distillery, located in rural County Tipperary. Nickerson credits her father for developing her love for whiskey and Scotch at a young age. They moved around Scotland while Stuart managed distilleries from Girvan Grain to Highland Park.
We spoke with Jennifer about getting into the “family business,” Irish whiskey and more.
The Whiskey Lifestyle: What inspired Tipperary?
Jennifer Nickerson: We spent a lot of time talking about the ideal situation we found ourselves in, with Liam’s family having grown barley in Tipperary for more than 200 years, and my dad having worked in the Scotch whisky industry for 40 years.
We wanted to diversify the farm and we felt like we had a unique set of skills and opportunities to make something truly special: our farm is located in Ireland’s “Golden Vale”, so named for its golden summer crops. Tipperary is famous for its water and Stuart has managed some of Scotland’s best whisky distilleries.
We had all the elements necessary to make a single estate farm-to-bottle Irish whiskey that was truly unique and celebrated Tipperary’s terroir.
TWL: What was hardest part about starting your own distillery?
JN: There were lots of challenges – everything was entirely new so I had to figure out how to do everything from scratch, and I really missed the support departments that I’d enjoyed in my previous role with a big international company.
However, the prevailing issue has been cash flow! Unlike large internationally owned distilleries with deep pockets, the more we sell, the more stock we need to put down for future years, tying up more of our cash. It’s a constant issue in our lives!
TWL: How has your father’s years of experience in the industry helped you all?
JN: With everything! Stuart provides all of our technical expertise and means that people take us seriously as they know that we have the knowledge to operate stills. He also has years of contacts in the industry which we avail of, both with suppliers, importers, retailers etc. I’ve been learning about whiskey since I was born and continue to learn things from Stuart even now.
TWL: You made a very dramatic shift from finance to whiskey, what was that like?
JN: Tough! I miss the support of the immediate team, as well as secretaries, HR and IT. It’s a different kind of stress, without the pressure of trying to maintain other people’s expectations and KPIs, but with the added pressure of having to make sales and each sale being a real difference to our business. I absolutely miss a regular monthly paycheck!
TWL: What’s the most important part of running a family distillery?
JN: Getting along with each other and enjoying the support and trust that comes with that. At the start, I missed having an immediate team to support and oversee everything I did. I had to learn to trust myself and be independently resourceful, rather than second-guessing myself. Honesty is important too however – we need to be able to admit when we make mistakes and not be overly critical of each other.
We all make mistakes; it’s how we deal with them and what we learn that matters. Like everything else in life I suppose!
TWL: When we last spoke, you all had just received your stills. How has the process of building the distillery going?
JN: It’s slower than I’d hoped! Building in winter has slowed us down somewhat – we had aimed to be finished by end-December 2018. We are now aiming for end March, but I’m reluctant to guarantee that in case we have some late storms.
In all honesty, whilst I’d like to be further along, I should give credit to my husband – he’s a civil engineer and has dealt with liaising with builders, fire officers, grant agencies etc. he’s managed the entire build and I’ve just complained that it’s later than I’d like! But he knows how grateful I am really for all of his hard work.
TWL: What’s the biggest misconception that people have about Irish Whiskey?
JN: That Irish whiskey is all smooth and easy drinking! There are some small differences in the technical files covering Irish and Scottish whiskies, and Irish pot-still is an additional category. However, there is nothing in the technical file that says Irish whiskey must be triple distilled, or that it can’t be peated. Irish Whiskey can be just as distinctive and flavorful as Scotch.
There is a huge amount of experimentation going on right now as new distilleries try to define their style, working with their stills, water and grain to determine what works for them.
TWL: What’s your favorite city to drink in?
JN: This is a really tough one. A lot of my friends live in Dublin, and I love the Dublin bar scene – from traditional pubs like Ryans on Camden Street, to cocktail bars like Chelsea Drug Store. There’s something to suit everyone.
Edinburgh will always be a favorite of mine as I went to University and met my husband here. A lot of my old friends live here, and it’s a beautiful city that comes alive during its many festivals.
Cork has some impressive bars for its diminutive size and New York is an obvious choice. During a recent brief stay in San Francisco, I was hugely impressed by the city’s relaxed vibe. There are so many – I couldn’t choose just one!
TWL: If you could drink whiskey with one celebrity, dead or alive, who would it be? And why?
JN: Jacinda Ardern – the Prime Minister of New Zealand – she’s an inspirational woman who appears to manage her family and running a country, while appearing relatively unstressed and with her sense of humor intact. I’d love to sit down with her over a whiskey and pick her brains to find out how she manages everything!
I would have picked Jameela Jamil as she’s hilarious and inspirational, but she doesn’t drink. ☹
TWL: What does “The Whiskey Lifestyle” mean to you?
JN: To me, Whiskey is a sense of place. Whiskey distilleries supported entire villages where I grew up in Scotland, and with the only ingredients being barley, water and yeast, it’s a natural drink that’s a product of its place and its people. We’re in the process of discovering exactly what Tipperary whiskey will be, searching out those flavors that are coming through from our land and will form the basis of our terroir. We can’t wait to delve into this more with our own stills, but irrespective our single estate Whiskey will be unique to us and closely related to our farm and our family.
