Dr. Gearóid Cahill, Distillery Manager at Slane Distillery, has been named a Master Distiller by the Institute of Brewing & Distilling, and has been given the same title by the distillery.

Dr. Cahill will continue his role as distillery manager at Slane, and his appointment by the Institute makes him one of few who have achieved the ranks of both Master Distiller and Master Brewer, per a news announcement.

Originally from Westmeath, he joined the team at Slane Distillery in 2019 as Distillery Manager. Since, he has worked closely with his colleagues at Brown-Forman and Slane Irish Whiskey to develop a production team, leading technical developments and optimizing production across all three whiskey types – malt, pot still and grain whiskey. Dr. Cahill has also been instrumental in driving improvements in water and energy usage within the distillery, increasing sustainability efforts throughout the whiskey-making process.

He has worked in the brewing and distilling industry for over 25 years. Starting in June 1996, he spent 19 years working with Diageo PLC in a variety of global technical roles, leading process and product improvements while developing and rolling out standards in brewing and distilling plants in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Jamaica, the UK and Ireland— while also working with brands that included Guinness, Carlsberg, Harp, Tuborg and Smithwicks.

As Head of Science for Diageo from May 2011 to June 2015, Dr. Cahill led the development of new production processes at James’s Gate with a €47m investment and oversaw fermentation optimization in Diageo’s Nigerian breweries. This wealth of global trade knowledge and production expertise combined with a Ph.D. in Brewery Yeast Management from Dublin City University in 1999 elevated Gearóid to become a Master Brewer in 2003.

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