Silverback’s Distillery First Distiller Apprenticeship Graduates

Congrats to our Graduates!

Silverback Distillery is proud to announce the graduates of our first Silverback Apprentice Distiller program, Ryan “Rye Guy” Blackwell and Jarrad “J-Rad” Wisherd! 

The Silverback Apprentice Distiller program aims to give opportunities for career advancement in the craft distilling industry by providing a hands-on immersive experience in different production processes. Being one of the few craft distilleries that is truly hands-on from grain to glass in every step of the process (no laptops running our processes) our apprentices get a true sense of how to create and how to understand each step with a deeper complexity.

In this program our apprentices learn our grain-to-glass approach, mentored by our experienced Master Distillers, Christine Riggleman, CEO and founder of Silverback Distillery, award-winning distiller, ranked in the top 13 gin distillers in the world and Lauren Riggleman, International Brewing & Distilling Tutor, SIlverback Distillery COO and course creator of the PVCC Intro to Distilling.In our quick interview with the Master Distillers and the newly graduated apprentices, they share their insight on the program and its significance for both Silverback as well as their distiller journey moving forward.

“The inspiration behind this program was sharing knowledge.” according to Master Distiller Lauren Riggleman.  

“When we first started Silverback, we had so many questions and had to hunt down answers! We’ve learned a lot in almost 9 years that have passed and we’re eager to share this with our production employees. As Silverback Distillery continues to grow, we want to maintain and improve the quality of our products. Hence, having a team in place that is knowledgeable is crucial for the next steps and that is what makes this apprenticeship program very important in our distillery.” 

Master Distiller Christine Riggleman describes the experience as “a rewarding experience” to be able to share this craft with the apprentices. “And it was exciting to share our knowledge with them and to see their joy with the creation of being a distiller” Most of our customers, especially those who hang around the tasting room often would know Ryan and Jarrad for being our Poconos General Manager (Ryan)  and Afton Operations Manager (Jarrad), respectively. After graduating from the Silverback Apprenticeship Distiller Program last February 27, 2023, they are now also taking on the role as distillers at Silverback.

For Ryan, the most challenging aspect of the apprenticeship was to meet the standards, while also meeting expectations for yields and previous sales numbers. “Silverback has strict standards for flavor but   don’t work in large enough volumes that would really allow for “covering” mistakes. We have to get it right  every time.” Ryan says his biggest takeaway from the program was that:

“Distilling is way more than just standing in front of a still or starting fermentation. Some distilling jobs might be like that, but at a small and growing distillery, I have to manage inventory, ordering, scheduling, quality control and more while also making sure we meet our production quotas.”

When asked about his experience in the program and how the mentors shaped his approach as a distiller, Ryan said that the experience changed his opinion on what day-to-day life is like for a craft distiller, but it also reinforced the idea that reps are important.“Practice makes perfect, and distilling or creating the same recipes over and over again is what allows us to hone our craft, and hopefully enhance our spirits - or even create new and delicious ones entirely.” Ryan adds and we couldn’t agree more.

As for Jarrad, he says the most challenging aspect of his apprenticeship was learning how every aspect of what we do here works in harmony. “There is no guide written on how exactly a distillery should be set up or run. It's in the wisdom and the craft of the Master Distiller(s) to discern those things to create an environment and process in which the best spirits in the world can be made.”His biggest takeaway from the apprenticeship program according to him is “Of course the family I've gained over the last few years. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else, or doing anything else.” 

To quote Jarrad on how this program and his mentors shaped his approach, he said:

“Distilling spirits is an art form. There are many out there who are less interested in the art of craft whiskey. Here we create everything with intention. Christine and Lauren have created a legacy built on art. I hope to always be a distiller for the purists.” 

We are happy and proud to have these men as distillers in our troop! We are looking to continue to expand our education offerings at Silverback, and will update our website when available!

Don’t forget to congratulate Ryan and Jarrad on this achievement!