Hall of Fame

Having completed a BSc in Biochemistry and an MSc in Biotechnology from University College Galway, Dave Quinn joined Irish Distillers in 1983 as a research chemist at Midleton Distillery. After a few years in this role Dave furthered his brewing knowledge by undertaking an MSc in Brewing Technology at Heriot-Watt University in 1987. On his return to Midleton, Dave assumed the role of process manager and moved into the operational side, taking on responsibilities in brewing, fermentation, and distillation. In 1996, Dave moved to Bushmills Distillery to become master distiller. There, ‘hands on’ distilling was a key feature of the role and a significant learning experience. This role was certainly multi-functional: it covered brewing, fermentation, distilling, warehousing, blending, quality, new whiskey development, and whiskey supply planning. After a very enjoyable six years at Bushmills, Dave came back to Midleton Distillery in 2002, taking up the role of technical director for the Irish Distillers Group. In his new role, Dave oversaw all technical aspects of whiskey production, including product quality, new product development, distillation and maturation research, blending, and whiskey planning. Over the past 20 years, Dave’s passion for scientific knowledge has led him to play a major role in the education and training of many in the distilling industry. This has included supporting courses for the Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers, reflecting Dave’s commitment to coaching and developing new members of the whiskey industry. This also involved running technical workshops for other distilleries in Ireland during the rapid growth phase of Irish whiskey makers from 2010 onwards. Dave played a significant role in the development of the Irish Whiskey Technical File and the subsequent attainment of a geographical indication (GI) for Irish whiskey. This was a huge step forward for the recognition of Irish whiskey worldwide and has paved the way for the enormous growth of the category over the past two decades. Dave was also involved in the establishment of the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) in 2012. Similar to the achievement of the GI standard, the IWA has played a significant role in the promotion, protection, and representation of the Irish whiskey category globally. Dave continues to represent Irish Distillers on the technical committee within the IWA and is highly regarded for his technical know-how and general whiskey knowledge.