The May Batch
Savour the Data, Stay for the Drams.
Welcome Back!
Sometimes I find myself scrolling through my camera roll only to realise just how much fits into a single month (and honestly, how long this past month actually felt!).
First up, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down for a chat on “She’s On the Rocks,” where I got to geek out on whisky tech and enjoy a great dram with two brilliant, whisky-loving ladies. On the professional front, earlier this month I had the incredible privilege of facilitating an evening with Sanja Marais, CISO at Aspen Medical, in partnership with Women in Digital who were gracious enough to gift me a bottle of Glenfiddich 12yo as a thank-you. To cap it all off, I scored an invite to Ardbeg Day at The Gresham, which was a phenomenal time. Here is a high-level look at what we are unpacking this month:
Distillery Tech: From Diageo’s massive, ultra-automated new footprint in Alabama to the foundational tech infrastructure being built into craft distilleries from day dot.
AI & Data: A look at the record-breaking 9th Worldwide Distilled Spirits Conference in Edinburgh, precision flavour engineering via gene-edited yeast, and why the US is widening the tech-adoption gap over Europe.
DEI & Equity: Why expanding technology infrastructure in the spirits industry makes the question of who is in the room more consequential than ever.
E-Commerce & Market Dynamics: What Canada’s historic new DTC framework means for producers, and why digital infrastructure is about to become the ultimate competitive advantage.
Pour yourself a dram, settle in, and let’s get into the data.
The Executive Barrel
High-proof leadership strategies from the Data & Drams podcast.
Season 2 is officially in production! I’m currently sitting down with guests and batching interviews over the next few weeks for the upcoming launch. I honestly can’t wait to share these episodes with you; the conversations I'm having with incredible people bridging the gap between tech and spirits have been amazing.
You can catch up on the previous episodes and join the community on your favourite platform, I’ve also created an accompanying blog if you’re wanting an overview!
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The Data Behind The Dram
Scaling craft through technology
Distillery Tech:
Diageo officially opened their newest 360,000 square foot manufacturing and warehouse facility in Alabama in April. Diageo Montgomery is built around a technology stack that sets a new benchmark for automated spirits manufacturing in North America including onsite automated guided vehicles, high-speed bottling lines, energy efficient infrastructure, advanced water energy metering technology providing real-time visibility enabling data driven decision making and operational efficiency.
AI / Data:
The 9th Worldwide Distilled Spirits Conference at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre closed on 7 May with confirmed attendance of 660 delegates and 167 speakers from 23 countries, exceeding its own record from the 2023 edition (560 delegates, 32 countries). The three-day technical programme covered AI-driven process modelling, zero-carbon distilling, regenerative agriculture, robotics in production and flavour science across a full range of spirit categories. For me? I’m hoping to get myself to the 10th anniversary.
A recent study established a validated, replicable technical pathway for precision flavour engineering in whisky fermentation. While the regulatory pathway for gene-edited yeast in commercial Scotch or American whiskey production remains unresolved, the science is proven and the methodology could apply to any fermented beverage category where floral aroma intensity is a commercial target. If you want more research directly to your inbox? You can check out ResearchScan here.
DRAMS Software marked its 50th year in business by formally debuting their latest platform upgrade, with a fully web-based architecture featuring real-time notifications, enhanced reporting, a Warehouse Explorer with visual rack-level layouts and vacuity forecasting, and an integrated Business Intelligence module that converts operational cask data into live management dashboards. DRAMS Principal Architect, William Sellick has framed the BI module explicitly as the bridge between record-keeping and data intelligence.
A theoretical and experimental study validated ethanol-water distillation column performance at laboratory scale. The findings are directly applicable to small-to-medium scale spirits and craft distillery operations where energy cost is a significant operating pressure. The validated stage calculation methodology provides the foundation for distillation optimisation if your stage model is proven, it can be parameterised into a process control system.
BevAlc360°a new content sync platform founded by Women of the Vine founder Deborah Brenner, aims to address inconsistent and stale product content across online retail channels. The platform allows spirits suppliers to upload brand assets once, such as bottle shots, tasting notes, videos, technical specifications, compliance copy and synchronises that content in real time across every integrated retail and distribution channel simultaneously.
Proof 8's buyer's guide for distillery management software was published this month, covering what distillery management software actually is (and what it isn't); why generic inventory tools consistently fail when applied to spirits, what to evaluate when comparing options; and how to decide between continuing with spreadsheets, adding standalone tools for specific functions, or moving to a single integrated platform. You can find the guide here.
Technology adoption in US spirits operations is markedly faster than in Europe, and the gap is widening notes Proof 8’s Stuart Maxwell at Prowein earlier this month. “Trust is massive. Spreadsheet dependency. The risks are there, from errors to lack of traceability, poor inventory accuracy. Those risks don't go anywhere, even if spreadsheets make you feel comfortable.” You can watch the full interview available on The Spirits Business YouTube channel.
Jackton Distillery builds anti-fraud infrastructure into its foundation from the onset. Proof 8’s recent case study is one of the most specific named examples of a Scottish distillery treating digital provenance as a founding operational decision rather than a future upgrade.
DEI / Equity:
Women of the Vine & Spirits announced on 20 May 2026 an expanded lineup for its 2026 Live Leadership Series, a year-round programme of interactive sessions with senior beverage alcohol executives across all three tiers, designed to replace traditional panel formats with candid, conversational access to the executives shaping what comes next. The series tackles the biggest forces reshaping the industry like consumer behaviour shifts, distribution consolidation, regulatory change, new routes to market, talent development and leadership. The more rapidly the industry's technology infrastructure expands, the more consequential the question of who is being invited into the rooms where those decisions are made.
Bourbon Women, the first women-focused, consumer-based organisation in the whiskey industry confirmed that SIPosium 2026 will mark its 15th anniversary. Their SIP Scholarship Program provides lodging, conference access and personalised mentorship for women seeking to enter or advance in the spirits industry. As the industry's digital and technology roles multiply the scholarships and mentorship pipelines that actively direct women toward those roles are the leading indicator of whether the industry's digital transformation is also an equity transformation.
E-Commerce & Market:
The May 2026 deadline for Canada's pan-provincial DTC alcohol framework has been reached, with 11 jurisdictions having signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing to nationwide direct-to-consumer alcohol sales. Noting that the digital infrastructure requirements to execute on the DTC opportunity are the limiting factor for most producers: compliant e-commerce platforms, real-time inventory management, online checkout with age verification and provincial tax compliance are not trivial to build or procure. The producers who invest in that infrastructure now will be positioned with distribution advantages that are difficult to replicate once the market normalises.
The Tasting Room
Personal reviews and on-site distillery insights.
My Top 3 Drams of the Month:
Ardbeg Dolce - Apricot, orange marmalade, dark chocolate, salted nuts, tanginess and smoke. I was lucky enough to be gifted a bottle and invited along to Ardbeg Day to celebrate its release.
SMWS Billows across the shoreline - Sweet maritime flavours, that surprised me so much I ended up grabbing it at a recent SMWS tasting.
Lark No.151 Fire Trail - Citrus, baked fruits and this classic Australian taste of cedar wood that feels quintessentially Tasmanian.
Until next month!
Sip Soon,
Sarah