Barley, a common replacement for rice in soups and risotto, is a primal ingredient in whiskey-making. Specifically, malted barley grain is stored in wood barrels and aged to present drinks with smooth, complex flavors. Over 151 million metric tons of barley was produced between 2022-2023, according to Statista. That is a lot of whiskey. Whiskey consumption across the globe is expected to increase gradually over the next 4–5 years.
Jennifer Nickerson is the founder of Tipperary Boutique Distillery located in South Tipperary, Ireland. Before joining the whiskey industry, Nickerson was a tax adviser – which she was fond of. However, she was aware that if she were not in the office for any reason, someone else would step in to perform her day-to-day responsibilities. "I wanted to do something that was meaningful," Nickerson told FOX Business. "I wanted to do something that was real.
It’s really exciting, but it’s exhausting; tiring," she said. Nickerson wears every hat herself, from sales rep, to marketer, to accountant, and she is a wife and mother to a 2-year-old. "Someone has to pay the electricity bill." Larger-known Irish whiskey brands like Jameson are widely consumed by spirit drinkers around the globe.