Firstly, what’s a Maker’s Mark Diplomat you ask?
Distillery Diplomats are Maker’s Mark and class consultants, who’re dedicated to successful the hearts and minds of shoppers, and hospitality professionals. They instil ardour for our award-winning craft bourbon by way of training, model immersive experiences, and most significantly, authenticity.
They create the expertise, heritage, and distillery to life in different markets and now in Australia and New Zealand by way of model constructing and storytelling.
INTERVIEW WITH RHIANNA LUCAS:
Share and enlighten us together with your profession journey to this date, and the way you turned Australia’s first Maker’s Mark Diplomat?
My ardour for the drinks and hospitality {industry} began early on in my life.
At 17 years outdated I began waitressing in a small cocktail bar in Cronulla and was very fortunate to be working with two managers that handed on their love of the hospitality craft.
At 18 years outdated, I used to be being taught the worth of correct service.
I poured Belgian beers on the desk, into their right, branded glass and was taught why this was so necessary to the client’s ingesting expertise. I knew the best way to match totally different whiskies with totally different events. I fell in love with Tripel Karmeliet and Chimay Grand Reserve…. And I fell in love with Maker’s Mark. I used to be served a Maker’s 46 Previous Common on my 18th birthday and felt the eagerness for the model that the particular person serving me had, and from there I used to be hooked. It was love at first sight.
I then moved right into a Venue Supervisor function, operating The Vanguard in Newtown.
Right here I used to be in a position to mix my love for reside music, beer, and whisky into one place, with my favorite factor to do after clocking off could be going by way of the again bar and tasting all of the whiskies on the shelf.
Perks of the job, proper?!
Whereas working at The Vanguard, I used to be approached by Lion Nathan to use for a task of their craft beer gross sales crew. I jumped at this chance and located myself working a hybrid function as each a Enterprise Growth Government and Assistant Model Supervisor. I turned completely obsessive about beer, and shortly studied for and achieved my Licensed Cicerone® qualification and moved into the function of Nationwide Craft Beer Ambassador.
Educating each commerce and shoppers on craft beer is a large ardour of mine and having the chance to do that by way of coaching packages, occasions and activations was unbelievable. I used to be with Lion for 4 years earlier than seeing the newly created function for the Australian Maker’s Mark Diplomat, and I used to be over the moon!
With Maker’s Mark being such an necessary whisky to me and my story, I couldn’t look forward to the possibility to be part of the Maker’s Mark household!
What impressed you to pursue a profession within the Whisky {industry}, and why with Beam Suntory?
I’ve been following the work of Beam Suntory and The Mix for a very long time, and I’ve all the time thought that Beam Suntory runs the perfect model advocacy and training program within the nation.
The possibility to hitch an organization that champions and helps the continued training of the hospitality {industry}, provides again to the neighborhood, and values the integrity of their manufacturers like nobody else was extremely enticing.
I’ve been following the work of Beam Suntory and The Mix for a very long time, and I’ve all the time thought that Beam Suntory runs the perfect model advocacy and training program within the nation.
What are you most excited for about in your new function as a Maker’ Mark Diplomat?
Whisky evokes reminiscences, tales, emotions. You will have a glass of whisky and are transported again to the final time you shared that dram, and bear in mind who you have been with, what you have been doing, and also you create new moments. Scent and style type such an necessary a part of our connection to folks and locations, and by sharing a whisky with associates you cement that second ceaselessly as related to the aroma of that whisky.
Maker’s Mark has accompanied me by way of a few of the finest instances of my life, from my early years in hospitality, to sharing whiskies with my dad, to unforgettable instances with associates.
Now because the Diplomat for Maker’s Mark, I do know that I’m creating these fond reminiscences and experiences for each person who I’ve the chance to spend time with, and that actually excites me.
Having the honour of taking somebody by way of the journey of Maker’s Mark and hopefully leaving them feeling one thing, feeling linked. That actually lights me up.
What thrilling plans have you ever to coach and interact commerce and shoppers in regards to the whiskies you characterize?
Maker’s Mark and Beechworth Honey have simply launched a superb partnership to be a joint power for good on the planet.
We’re teaming as much as educate each commerce and shoppers in regards to the significance of sustainability and environmental stewardship for not solely the way forward for our planet, however in creating higher high quality whisky!
Proper now, we’re calling all hospitality professionals to become involved and implement sustainable practises of their venues, and providing twenty hospitality skilled the chance to come back all the way down to Beechworth and spend time with Maker’s Mark and Beechworth Honey to study extra about what we will collectively do to make sure the sustainability of our land (and our bourbon!). In the event you’d prefer to learn extra about this, click on right here!
I’m wanting ahead to sharing the Maker’s Mark story with as many individuals as I probably can!
We’ve acquired some thrilling issues being introduced over the following few months for the commerce, and a few very thrilling client occasions developing as nicely. I’m buzzing to get on the market and share the unbelievable bourbons Maker’s Mark crafts with commerce and shoppers alike.
What do you suppose units Maker’s Mark other than different Bourbons out there?
At the beginning, Maker’s Mark bourbon is exclusive, in spite of everything we have been named a very powerful bourbon on the planet!
When Invoice Samuels Snr burnt his household recipe and went towards the grain of what whisky was again in 1953 through the use of Smooth Purple Winter Wheat within the mash invoice, he instantly set Maker’s Mark other than different American whiskies.
Following this guiding gentle of doing this in another way to create one thing higher, Maker’s Mark continues to be industry-leading in its method to progress and preservation. We’re actively creating bourbon that betters the world, and we do that in some ways. By means of our work with regenerative farming, we’re making certain we aren’t solely defending the environment however producing higher grain to make extra flavourful whisky.
Now we have the world’s largest repository of American white oak, which is permitting us to genome map the oak bushes in an effort to preserve and safe the way forward for the American white oak tree, which is able to guarantee we will proceed making bourbon for generations to come back. And naturally, we’re the most important B-Corp licensed distillery on the planet, exhibiting our dedication to the land, our folks, and the neighborhood. This stuff set Maker’s Mark other than different bourbons out there, and so they encourage and energise me to unfold the phrase of Maker’s Mark.
How do you keep updated on {industry} developments and new developments within the whisky world?
To be clear, my total world is the alcohol {industry}!
I in all probability comply with each {industry} publication there may be, I learn loads of magazines to maintain up with the most recent developments and points, I tune in to podcasts like Drinks at Work by Boothby for hospitality, Drinks Adventures for spirits, Brews Information for beer… the listing goes on.
I’m additionally an avid reader, I like to learn books on each the technical facet of whisky distilling and manufacturing, to the extra romantic books in regards to the historical past of manufacturers and distilleries. And naturally, retaining engaged with the commerce is so necessary. It’s my function to assist and repair the commerce, to coach in an genuine approach that nurtures their creativity and fills their wants, so being linked is a good way to maintain updated with developments and points within the {industry}.
What recommendation would you give to somebody who I considering pursuing a profession as a whisky ambassador?
Be passionate. Be excited. Be curious!
Immerse your self within the {industry} in any approach you possibly can, whether or not that’s by way of studying books in regards to the historical past of the whisky you’re keen on, retaining updated with {industry} podcasts and magazines, exploring totally different whiskies, or attending training classes with different ambassadors.
The secret’s to actually love what you do and chase that keenness each day.
You simply returned from the Distillery, for a 2-week onboarding expertise, what was the spotlight of the journey you possibly can share with our viewers?
It must be sharing a Maker’s 46 with Invoice Samuels Jnr.
It was like coming full circle. From ingesting that very first Maker’s 46 Previous Common on my 18th, to standing with the creator of the whisky, in his dwelling, sharing a Maker’s 46 on ice whereas he informed tales in regards to the first ever bottle of Maker’s Mark that was produced (which was on the shelf behind us, by the best way).
It was simply a kind of pinch me, “how did I get right here?” moments that I’ll always remember.
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