Topic: A Sip of Knowledge with Lisa Roper Wicker, President & Head Distiller at Widow Jane Distillery

Hosts: Liz Rhoades, Lew Bryson, & Martin Duffy

What You'll Learn: Join a trio of drink industry veterans in weekly conversation on whiskey, spirits, distilling, marketing and the current state of the drink industry. This week, Lisa Roper Wicker of Widow Jane Distillery joins the group.

Lisa Roper Wicker is President and Head Distiller of Widow Jane Distillery in Brooklyn, New York. Wicker started her career in alcohol production as a farm hand after working several years in the arts. Moving to another Midwestern winery, Brown County, she worked her way through learning production and patched her education together at UC Davis, Purdue and others. After eight years, she moved to Kentucky, a state with an old wine tradition to build a winery for an established vineyard. Wicker transitioned into distilling at Limestone Branch in Marion County, Kentucky with the Beam family. Three years at Limestone Branch, Wicker moved to Starlight Distillery and distilled there until she was hired to build Bardstown, Kentucky’s first craft distillery. She founded Saints & Monsters Distillery consulting in early 2017, her first clients included the Samson & Surrey portfolio. She was hired full time for them as Director of distilling, then moved solely to the Widow Jane project two years ago. She oversees production in New York and Kentucky, expansion and for two years, the largest heirloom corn project for whiskey in the United States.

Wicker is Consulting Distiller at Mount Vernon, George Washington Distillery. She was “highly commended” by American Whiskey Magazine for this project in 2019, and nominated in 2020 for Widow Jane.

Wicker resides in Brooklyn, New York and Bardstown, Kentucky.

Liz Rhoades, founder of Spirit Safe Consulting, former research scientist for DIAGEO, distilling consultant, spirits writer for The Whiskey Wash & presenter.

Lew Bryson, former managing editor for Whisky Advocate Magazine for 20 years, whiskey author, beer/whiskey writer and presenter.

Martin Duffy, former DIAGEO Master of Whisky for the Midwest, DIAGEO Reserve Brand Ambassador for The Republic of Ireland, North American Brand Representative for Glencairn Crystal.

A Sip of Knowledge with Lisa Roper Wicker of Widow Jane Distillery