Topic: A Sip of Knowledge with Dave Scheurich, Owner of High Spirits Enterprise

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, Dave Scheurich, Owner of High Spirits Enterprise, joins the group.

Dave Scheurich is the Master Distiller for Boondocks Brands which is owned by Royal Wines in Bayonne, NJ.  His role is to find, evaluate and recommend the purchase of exceptional whiskeys for the Boondocks portfolio.  He oversees the distillery production operations during the making of new whiskeys and supervises the processing and bottling of the brand portfolio which includes Boondocks American Whiskey 95 Proof and Cask Strength, Boondocks 8-Year-Old Bourbon finished aged in Port Wine Barrels and Boondocks Spiced Projects. Dave’s name is on the label of every bottle of Boondocks as a stamp of approval as a mark of quality and drinkability. He often makes brand presentations and conducts tastings to introduce and promote Boondocks to whiskey aficionados.

Dave is the owner of High Spirits Enterprise LLC, a distillery consultant business. He helps entrepreneurs who want to enter the micro-distillery business through the development of business plans, distillery layout and design, operational management, project management and product creation.  He makes presentations on the history of bourbon, how bourbon is made and how to judge bourbons and, on occasion, conducts Bourbon 101 classes.

Dave is the retired General Manager and Distillery Manager for The Woodford Reserve Distillery.  He was the project manager for the major renovation of the distillery, a Historic National Landmark, and was directly involved in the conception, creation and development of both Woodford Reserve bourbon and its homeplace.   Like distillery managers of yesteryear he lived on property at the distillery and performed production duties as well as product promotions as a brand ambassador.   Dave retired in 2011 and now lives in a house overlooking Herrington Lake in Danville, KY.

His work experience also includes distillery and other production and facility management roles for the Brown-Forman Corporation, Joseph E. Seagram and Sons, Wild Turkey Distillery, Kentucky Paper Box Company and 7-UP of Detroit.  Dave is currently the Master Distiller for Boondocks American Whiskey and has helped numerous micro distilleries develop and come to life. He earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Morehead State University and a master's degree in Business Administration from Bellarmine University.

Dave was named the recipient of Whiskey Advocate magazine’s 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award.

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.