Thank You to Erin Lee
In partnership with the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) and the STEPUP Foundation, Eight Oaks Farm Distillery was one of three distilleries chosen to participate in the inaugural internship program.
We just said goodbye to Erin Lee, our last intern this year. The former fashion-industry turned tea sommelier reflected on her time with Eight Oaks.
Erin loves to learn, and in her mind, learning has to be continuous. In the future she’s interested in learning more about how to create ready-to-drink cocktails for optimal favor and shelf stability.
One thing that surprised her was how much fun it was to distill gin. Erin liked how, “Transformative gin was as it comes off the still. It changes throughout the run because different volatile compounds come off the still at different temperatures. One minute you get so much juniper, the next minute it’s fresh orange peel or lemongrass. It’s not until your run is complete that you know how it will taste as a whole.”
So how did Erin get into this industry?
For her it was, “A love of flavor got me into this industry. It all started with a cup of tea in China that really surprised me with its complexity. I had always been a tea drinker. I gained a new appreciation for how much and subsequently signed up for a Tea Sommelier program through the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada.
Learning how to analyze flavor and sit with it led me to really appreciate whiskey as a spirit. I went down the rabbit hole of all things whiskey from joining every virtual event I could, joining a whiskey club, reading whiskey books, to being a part of the Instagram whiskey community. It was only fitting that I saw a bottle of whiskey on Instagram created by Good Deeds Spirits to benefit the Step Up Foundation that led me to applying to become one of the inaugural interns in this program.”
When she reflects on her future, “it’s all about the possibilities. Being part of an industry where I am supported, mentored, and encouraged really makes a world of difference.”
When asked to describe her experience in one word, “Can I give you 4? Adventure. Curiosity. Wonder. Growth.”
As Erin leaves us for her next adventure there’s a lot to look forward to, including,
cementing what she’s learned and building on it. According to Erin, “It’s been fascinating to learn different ways of doing similar things at distilleries of different scales. It will also be great to learn what it takes to get your product distributed.”
Erin left us with some thoughts about her favorite cocktail and food.
“There is nothing like a whiskey sour and all the different twists on the whiskey sour from a Boston Sour to a Gold Rush to a Penicillin.
Can anyone pick a favorite food? Variety is the spice of life and I’m always looking to try new foods from all over the world. A few of my more memorable meals have been the street food in Xi’an, Salatim in Tel Aviv, tapas in San Sebastián, and an altitude based tasting menu in Peru. My go-to comfort food is Kimchi Fried Rice with Bacon.”
We’ll miss you Erin, best of luck with the rest of your internship, and in the future, cheers!
