Why do fruits produce great spirits? WSET’s Nick King speaks to Barney Wilczak, Director Distiller, Capreolus Distillery about all things fruit distilling.
Event details
Zoom webinar
In this bite-sized interview we explore fruit distillation through the eyes of expert Barney Wilczak. This session will follow Barney’s journey from photography to distilling, delve into why fruits can be notoriously challenging to work with and reflect on the role of bartenders when it comes to this category of spirits. Tune in to find out more!
This session is for anyone curious about the topic, it’s free to attend and will be recorded.
About Barney Wilczak, Director Distiller, Capreolus Distillery
"Raised in the Cotswolds it was of little surprise that I developed a love of the natural world. A career in photojournalism, specialising in conservation stories, was my initial career. However, throughout this career was the development of my own practice as a distiller. I was fascinated by the fruits that are such a rich part of the Cotswolds heritage, their complexity and transporting nature I found in the elevated flavours of Eaux de Vie. With a desire to travel less and to spend more time with my partner, what had begun as a hobby transitioned into a career. The work we do at the Capreolus Distillery is almost completely unique in the UK. It is the capturing of our terroir and our heritage. We are now a tiny team but are lucky to find our products being worked with by incredible sommeliers, bartenders and chefs around the world."
About Nick King DipWSET, Product Development Manager - Spirits, WSET
After University Nick worked in alcohol retail, working variously for both independent chains and large supermarkets. This proved to be a sub-optimal choice for a former rower with a back injury and after one lift too many he decided it was time for a desk job working for WSET. During his time at WSET Nick has worked on all of WSET's qualifications but most recently his focus has been exclusively on spirits education. This work has seen the overhaul of the Level 1 and Level 2 Awards in Spirits, and the introduction of the Level 3 Award in Spirits launched in August 2019.