Dr Gearóid Cahill, a veteran of the brewing and distilling industry, having previously worked with Guinness, Carlsberg and Harp has been named as the first ever Master Distiller for Slane Whiskey.
Dr Cahill joined the Slane team in 2019 as Distillery Manager. Since then, he has undertaken the Master Distiller qualification from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD).
Described as ‘The Pinnacle of Professional Distilling Qualifications’, this achievement allows Dr Cahill to take the title ‘Master Distiller’, and means he is one few individuals in the drinks business to hold positions as both Master Brewer, and Master Distiller.
In a statement to press, Alex Conyngham, the Co-founder of Slane Irish Whiskey, said: “Gearóid has strived to improve the quality and consistency of our spirit.”
“He has embraced our dedication to flavour and the leadership, skill and vision that he has demonstrated in shaping both our current blend and future Irish whiskeys is inspiring. This latest accolade is hard-earned, and we are delighted for him to get the formal recognition he deserves.”
During his time at Slane, Dr Cahill has overseen the creation of a product ion team, and led production improvements of the brand’s malt, single pot still and grain whiskies.
Dr Cahill previously worked for Diageo for 19 years, served in a number of technical roles that saw him overseeing improvements to breweries and distilleries located in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Jamaica, Ireland the UK.
In 1999, Dr Cahill acquired a PhD in Brewery Yeast Management from Dublin City University, leading to him taking the title of Master Brewer in 2003.
It was this academic background that perhaps led to Diageo appointing him Head of Science in 2011, in which position he developed a production process at James’s Gate, and implemented fermentation optimization in Diageo’s Nigerian breweries.
Slane Whiskey, launched into Australia in 2017 and distributed by Brown-Forman, was created by the Conyngham family, owners of the Slane Castle estate.
Originally, the whiskey brand was developed to provide the estate (a famous concert venue in Ireland) with consistent income. They will be hoping that this new appointment helps to continue the whiskey’s upward trajectory.