What's it really like working at a whisky distillery?

We are employees of Diageo; the following is our opinion only and does not represent the company.

(Ok, it's not always a party 😉)

We're coming to the end of our time at Lagavulin distillery and wanted to share what it's been like being behind the counter at one of the most well-known names in the whisky industry.

In a nutshell: pros? People. Cons? People.

Pros

The people we have worked with at Lagavulin are honestly some of the best people we know. They have all been so incredibly welcoming, and have absolutely gone above and beyond in supporting us inside and outside of work. Alex and I have told each other (multiple times!) how lucky we are to have had the chance to work at Lagavulin, and it's absolutely thanks to our awesome colleagues.

One of the coolest things about working at Lagavulin is that you are literally making dreams come true. Its just like Disneyland but with whisky 😉 I can't count the amount of people who have entered the doors of the distillery and told us that being here is a lifelong dream of theirs, since way back when they first tried Lagavulin; people that were celebrating their retirement, a 50th birthday, a 25th wedding anniversary - even one lady who had delayed cancer treatment just to have a dram at Lagavulin distillery. And then there are so many superfans who keep coming back - some that we met have visited Lagavulin every year for 20 years straight. There are not many jobs where you can say that everyone you see is happy to see you or having been dreaming of this moment, and then you can make their day by offering a wee welcome dram.

Another awesome thing about working in a distillery is getting to know the intricacies of whisky, from production to casking and maturation. It's a fascinating process, and there really is no other alcohol in the world where you can find so many different variations that differ from region or country. Even the shape of the stills, which accounts for about 40% of the characteristic of the dram in your glass, can have a huge impact. It's been so interesting to learn more and dig into the details (and of course, taste them along the way... 😉)

Cons

Ahhhh, people. Anyone in a people-facing role would know this - some people just suck. For every 500 great visitors we had, there would inevitably be one (either a Whisky Wanker or a General Jerk) who made our tours just slightly less shiny. I'm talking the people who would ask 'gotcha' questions intended to highlight their supposed superior knowledge, or your perceived lack thereof, just because we didn't have a Scottish accent apparently! Some actually had the audacity to ask what qualifications we had to do this role ("zip it mate, I've tried every Lagavulin whisky on that shelf", I would say in my head 😉). There were many who would talk over top of us during the tour, or just be plain rude. And then some who would take the piss and harass you into giving them more whisky.

But thankfully, that's the only con about working in a whisky distillery 😊

So, what does our every day look like?

Well, each day is different. The planner will show us if we are running a tour - either a Classic Tour, with a walk around the production site and a tasting; a Warehouse tasting, where they taste 5 drams, with 4 drams being pulled straight from the cask; or a Distillery Exclusive Tour, which is a production tour plus a taste of 5 of our most exclusive drams and a 200ml fill-your-own take home bottle. Then you might be on retail and chat with people entering to offer them a welcome whisky. Or you might be on the bar and pouring flights of whisky and making cocktails in the Malt Mill and giving suggestions on what people should try. Every day comes with its own challenges and triumphs.

We have truly had such a fun time at Lagavulin, learning so much, immersing ourselves in a passion of ours and growing to love whisky even more, as well as meeting some really cool people. So much so we have already promised to be back next year... 😉