Kirsten Ainslie has joined Brown-Forman as the new Assistant Blender to Rachel Barrie, Master Blender for their Single Malt Scotch Whisky distilleries, Benriach, The GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh. Prior to joining Brown-Forman, she was Distiller at Edinburgh’s John Crabbie & Co for three years.
Kirsten’s role will see her working closely with Rachel Barrie on spirit quality, product development and innovation, cask selection, whisky and wood management.
Rachel Barrie said, “It’s a really exciting time for Benriach, The GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh and welcoming Kirsten to the team signals our long term commitment to investing into and growing our wonderful Single Malts.
“Kirsten will be a great addition to the team. Nurturing young talent is an important part of what we do at Brown-Forman and Kirsten has certainly proven she has the best nose for the job.”
Kirsten Ainslie began bartending whilst working towards her MA in Sociology at the University of Edinburgh. After graduating, she volunteered at The Glasgow Distillery company in an effort to learn the art of whisky and gin distillation before moving on to become Lead Distiller at the John Crabbie Distillery in Leith, Edinburgh.
Kirsten added, “I feel very privileged to be taking on the role of Assistant Blender and working alongside Rachel Barrie who is renowned in the whisky industry. Working closely with Rachel, I hope to build on the legacy of maturing and marrying different casks, and crafting whiskies to be enjoyed by newcomers and connoisseurs alike.”