Slane Irish Whiskey appoints its first master distiller

Brown-Forman-owned Slane Irish Whiskey has named Dr Gearóid Cahill as its first master distiller.

Cahill joined Slane in 2019 as its distillery manager, and recently earned his master distiller qualification from the Institute of Brewing & Distilling.

He will step into the master distiller role while still maintaining his position as distillery manager.

In his time with the brand, Cahill has helped to develop its production team, and has led technical developments across the three whiskey types in Slane’s blend – malt, pot still and grain.

He has also driven the distillery’s sustainability focus, helping to implement more efficient energy and water usage.

“Since joining us to head up our production at Slane Distillery, Gearóid has strived to improve the quality and consistency of our spirit,” said Alex Conyngham, co-founder of Slane Irish Whiskey.

“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.”

Cahill is a 25-year veteran of the brewing and distilling industries. In 1996, he began a 19-year tenure at Diageo, working in a variety of technical roles and working with brands including Guinness, Carlsberg, Harp, Tuborg and Smithwicks. He served as head of science for Diageo from 2011 to 2015, after achieving a master brewer qualification in 2003.

In 2015, Cahill moved to Alltech Ireland, taking on the roles of head distiller and director of brewing science at The Pearse Lyons Distillery.

With his latest certification, he has become one of the few people to have held the ranks of both master brewer and master distiller.

For more on Slane, check out our history of the brand.