Riannon Walsh has been named one of the world’s “Women to Watch in Whisky” by Whisky Magazine for good reason. As the person who was paramount in mapping and uncovering one of the oldest functioning distillers in the country and who has advised craft distillers and independent bottlers around the world on all things spirits, her credentials speak for themselves.

Now it is time for Chester County to gain the benefit of her expertise, as she is opening Brandywine Branch Distillers in Northern Chester County near Chester Springs, bringing to it her extensive knowledge on world whisky and spirits.

In a profile written by Leslie Hudson, the Brandywine Branch Distillers Managing Director of Production and Creatives talks about her early education, the evolving nature of the distilling industry, and her latest endeavor, the Chester County distillery.

“I learned to distill with essential oils, flowers and herbs at a very early age, which kind of carried over into working with botanicals,” Walsh told the Town Dish. “It was just kind of a natural progression for me to go from distillations of botanicals into grains into whiskey.”

Her hobby turned into a lifelong profession, and in 1999, Walsh founded and organized the Whiskies of the World Expo in San Francisco, an event that had already become North America’s largest consumer whisky event by the time she sold it eleven years later.

As her knowledge and experience as well as impeccable reputation expanded further, so did the requests for interviews, lectures, and consultations with both big and small brands.  In between these, she also spent time writing, blending, teaching, and hosting tastings.

However, one thing remained unchanged, and that was her draw to the niche, creative spirits produced by craft distilleries. As the industry evolved with more relaxed distilling laws and both men and women of all ages now embracing whisky, Walsh decided it was time for a distillery of her own.

When the new distillery opens its doors in March, it will boast four grain-to-bottle handcrafted gins designed by Walsh, a tour and an option for guests to explore the property and its orchards and gardens, as well as classes on various topics relating to the distilling process.

“We want the distillery to be a destination,” she explained in the Town Dish profile. “We want people to come, to not just take tours in the distillery, but take classes, learn about the whole process, spend time in the gardens, spend time in the tasting room and see the beautiful property that we’ve restored.”