If there is one company in the distilled spirits world that is often misunderstood its MGP Ingredients. They’ve been making distilled spirits including bourbon and rye whiskey, gin and vodka for three quarters of a century since 1941 though some of the distilleries they own have been around since the late 1800s. They are best known for supplying spirits to major national and international brands, as well as smaller craft distillers. Some of those partnerships are public while others prefer to keep them private depending on the partner. They’ve also started to experiment with some of their own bourbon and vodka retail brands. They are a company on the move.
Announce Internal Promotions to Master Distiller and Master Blender
The art and science of fermentation, distillation and blending are the foundation of the company’s distilled spirits business. Making all those spirits requires lots of people with lots of skills. The company has just announced the promotion of five internal candidates to the level of Master – Master Distiller and Master Blender.
MGP says that due to the size and complexity of its distillery operations, they rely on a team of highly trained Master Distillers and Master Blenders. Individuals are awarded the master designation after a robust certification process. The process includes education, experience, specialized training, and concludes with oral examinations by other masters and the completion of a dissertation.
“Because of the size and scope of our business, we need a very deep and broad pool of talent to operate successfully,” said President and CEO Gus Griffin. “Our development of Masters-level experts provides additional assurance of our ability to consistently deliver unique and high quality whiskies, vodkas and gins.”
3 New MGP Master Distillers
MGP has announced that the following employees recently completed the certification process to earn their Master Distiller designation.
- Matthew Greeno
- Josh Slawski
- Mike Templin
2 New Master Blenders
Griffin noted that blending also plays a crucial role in MGP’s business, as expert blenders create custom formulations to help set brands apart. The ongoing need for this important skill led to the development of a similar Master Blender certification process. MGP’s newly certified Master Blenders include the following employees.
- RJ Laws
- Sam Schmeltzer
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“We are extremely proud of our new Masters,” Griffin said. “Earning this designation is a testament to their dedication to their craft.”
MGP Ingredients is headquartered in Atchison, Kansas, where distilled alcohol products and food ingredients are produced. Premium spirits are also distilled and matured at the company’s facility in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
View all Indiana Distilleries.
View all Kansas Distilleries.
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