Kentucky native Lisa Sawyer Derman grew up with whiskey as a staple in her family. It carried over into her adulthood, and following her graduation from law school, she landed in the spirits industry somewhat by accident.

Some years later, she began to ponder launching a whiskey brand – and that idea turned into a plan which turned into Five Springs Infused Whiskeys, launched earlier this year.

Five Springs’ products are high-rye whiskeys infused with organic botanicals to achieve unique flavor profiles. So far, three core expressions include Honey Sage, Vanilla Maple and Blood Orange.

We recently hit Derman with the usual Five Questions, and here are her responses:

What was your gateway whiskey – the one that made you love whiskey?

I grew up in a very small town in Kentucky that is still only one of three dry counties in the state. Maker’s Mark was the only bourbon in our home and it was used for everything from celebrations and baking to the secret ingredient in a hot toddy for a sore throat. When my husband and I got married over 30 years ago we proudly served Maker’s Mark at our wedding.

What is your favorite part of the selection and blending process?

My absolute favorite part is walking into a barrel house and immediately smelling that wonderful earthy smell of aging whiskey! For Five Springs we are still small batch so we spend a lot of time sampling small batch bourbons from various local distillers. We’ve learned a lot about the different mashbills. We settled on a high rye mash bill containing 21% rye, but we quickly learned that even one month of aging can make a difference in the flavor profile. We also continue to experiment with different fruits and botanicals for new infusion creations. We love working with the botanicals because we’ve found that even the smallest amount of herb can enhance the grains used in bourbon.

What trends do you believe are forthcoming in the spirits industry?

I’ve been in the industry for almost 35 years and for the first 25 years every industry event focused on direct sales. That is still the case but the ease on regulations during the pandemic opened up more pathways for legal and responsible eCommerce sales. We’ll be watching to see how that continues to develop. From a marketing standpoint, we’re very interested in Gen Z and Millennial drinking trends, in particular the appeal of lower proof products and those made with organic and natural ingredients. For that generation, there is less interest in collecting a spirit and more interest in sharing meaningful experiences with friends and family. From an organization and structure perspective, what I hope is not a trend and is simply the new normal for doing business, is the increase in women and other underrepresented groups in both leadership roles and brand ownership roles. Women of the Vine & Spirits didn’t exist when I joined the ranks and it’s great to see such supportive and impactful groups now in the mix.

Other than your own brand, do you currently have a favorite bourbon, whiskey or other spirit?

Well … if I’m not drinking a Five Springs Espresso Martini, my go-to bourbon is Woodford Reserve and I have always been a fan of Fortaleza tequila.

Neat, rocks or cocktail?

One large rock!

Read more: A Conversation With Five Springs’ Lisa Sawyer Derman

About Five Questions

Five Questions is a series on Fredminnick.com in which professionals in the whiskey business offer insights into trends, favorite spirits and more.