Aislin Henrickson, Lead Distiller at Wolfhead Distillery

Aislin Henrickson, Lead Distiller of Wolfhead Distillery

Aislin Henrickson, the Lead Distiller at Wolfhead Distillery in Amherstburg, Ontario, believes one of the most important lessons to absorb before you go into the craft distilling industry is: “Learn how to say and accept the word pivot.”

Pivoting is an art, for sure. It’s something Aislin has baked into her own life. How else would someone who admittedly wasn’t “science inclined” in high school end up killing it in a chemistry-heavy career?

Pivoting from Bartending to Distilling

When Aislin began bartending, she describes it as slinging pints in dive bars. But even then, something about spirits inspired her. Her career propelled her into bar management and cocktail creation. She even dabbled in competition cocktails before following her passion to Ireland. That’s when things got really serious.

“I was there for a few years working in bars when an opportunity to work at the Teeling Whiskey Distillery opened up and I jumped at it,” she explains. The role only required her to work as a bartender and tour guide but she wasn’t about to pass up the chance to get behind the scenes at what was the newest whiskey distillery in Ireland at the time.

Aislin didn’t just do her job and leave, either. She got to know the distillers and learned everything she could about the whiskey distilling process. “It was me working in the whiskey distillery in Ireland where I thought: this is the coolest job somebody could have,” she admits.

Before that, Aislin had considered a number of possibilities for her future. “I'd always thought to myself, I'd leave bartending eventually,” she reveals. “Whether or not it was like opening up my own bar, restaurant and kind of going from there.”

Of course, over time, that future plan evolved. As she explored the world of cocktails, Aislin got it in her head that she could be even more involved. “The more I thought about it, the more I kind of wanted to break off and make these spirits themselves,” She says. “Kind of start at ground zero with it all.”

While the realization had been gradual, it really hit her in Ireland. By the time she got back to Canada, she’d made the decision to get a formal education.

“I saw that Niagara College in Southern Ontario had a program that they were just starting,” she tells us. “It was their first year and I thought to myself, you know, it's their first year. Let them work out their kinks. I'll join in the second year. So I ended up going into that in 2019 and then completed a postgrad in distilling and then jumped right into distilling.”

Pivoting as a Professional

That first job right out of the program was with Beattie’s Distillers in Alliston, Ontario. The distillery focused on distilling spirits from potatoes, primarily vodka. Aislin arrived and created the brand’s first cold brew coffee liqueur, opening them up to a whole world of liqueurs and flavored vodkas.

Of course, whiskey was really what Aislin was after. When she saw a posting for an assistant distiller at Wolfhead Distillery, she went for it. “They make a great Canadian whiskey — I should go down there,” she recalls thinking. “I'm gonna learn how to make whiskey and it's gonna be great — the greatest whiskey ever.”

After having toured the distillery during her Niagara College years, Aislin was ready to relocate to Windsor, Ontario to hit a “refresh button on my entire distilling career.”

Pivoting Around Challenges

At this point, it was clear to Aislin that she was on the right path. She overcame that science thing — something she admitted was a bit of a challenge.

“I never saw myself ending up in a chemistry-based career,” she admits. “But now that I'm in it, I wish I'd paid more attention in chemistry class in high school.”

She saw it as a challenge but she overcame it and faced other challenges. Even learning the ins and outs of the laws around distillation in Canada gave her a few obstacles to contend with.

When asked to consider her challenges, Aislin doesn’t immediately bring up being a woman in what is a very male-dominated industry. But as she reflects on it, she sees its impact. “I still get called sweetheart sometimes.”

Pivoting for Women in the Industry

Earlier this year, Aislin collaborated with a female winemaker and a brewer to craft a beer for the Pink Boots Society, a non-profit focused on supporting women in the brewing industry. She points to initiatives like that, aiming to increase representation for women in brewing, distilling — and even winemaking. Those are efforts she believes will lead to more women producing craft beverages overall. In a way, it’s the industry pivoting to diversify the workforce.

Scholarships are another method she thinks will move the needle. “I know Niagara College has been making some efforts to work with people of color and minorities and women to try and get them into the program as well.”

In her opinion, efforts like this make the difference. She notes that more women are getting involved but still sees a need for more. “It's just so rare for women to be running the show in this industry,” she laments.

But Aislin also sees women in the industry who give her hope. “Nancy Fraley … She's able to really make her mark and put her name out there,” she notes. “It's something so inspiring to all of the other girls that are in this, right?”

Aislin also names Dr. Anne Brock, the Master Distiller at Bombay Sapphire. “She's got one of the top positions in the world, and like it's still not advertised that much.”

Women like Nancy and Anne — those women appear like beacons to Aislin. They’re the leaders who will bring more women into the industry or at least make them feel like they belong.

And to those women now entering distilling, Aislin suggests, “Find someone who's been in the industry .. and get them to be your mentor. It's really great to have somebody to bounce those ideas off of who may have been in the position before.”