【Exclusive Interview】Kirsty McKerrow – Edinburgh Whisky Academy

Edinburgh Whisky Academy is the world’s first whisky education centre to be credited by Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) for delivering certified whisky education. By its unique commitment towards collecting professional yet brand-neutral lecturers to directly teach their candidates, Edinburgh Whisky Academy ensures deep and pure contents to truly explore the allure of whisky towards wide range whisky fans globally.
As they develop along with whisky industry’s evolution, Edinburgh Whisky Academy is increasingly spreading through having approved course providers worldwide and expanding their course coverage consistently.

We have interviewed Kirsty McKerrow, Founder and Managing Director of the Edinburgh Whisky Academy, to hear the back story of the establishment and the philosophy of the Edinburgh Whisky Academy.

The Basic Information of the Edinburgh Whisky Academy

Name	Edinburgh Whisky Academy
Year of Establishment	2015
Founder	Kirsty McKerrow
Location	Edinburgh Whisky Academy, 15 Fountain Road, Bridge of Allan, FK9 4ET
Official Website	Edinburgh Whisky Academy

Origin of the Edinburgh Whisky Academy

How Kirsty got into whisky

Dear WHISKY：
How did you get interested into whisky?

Kirsty：
My childhood definitely helped fire my passion in Scotch whisky.

I loved listening to my father talk about whisky, he always made it sound so exciting, as if enjoying a dram was a new adventure each time. 

Dear WHISKY：
What made you enter the whisky industry?

Kirsty：
Me and my husband had just moved to Sweden and our first child had just been born so shift-work wasn’t ideal. I took the opportunity to follow my passion in Scotch and set up a whisky tasting consultancy. Not long afterwards I was recommended for the role of Nordic Brand Ambassador for Glenmorangie and Ardbeg.
I jumped at this opportunity and enjoyed a couple of fantastic years working as their Brand Ambassador.

Establishing accredited whisky education center

Dear WHISKY：
What made you decide to establish the Edinburgh Whisky Academy?

Kirsty：
During my time as the Glenmorangie and Ardbeg Brand Ambassador, I wanted to improve my knowledge on the whisky making process and was very disheartened by the whisky education offerings on the market at that time.

So, when we moved back to Scotland, I decided to create a whisky academy that focused on high-quality, certified whisky education courses for the consumer-facing side of the industry as well as enthusiasts.

Dear WHISKY：
What was the issue of the whisky education back then?

Kirsty：
I think the offerings at the time were either brand-focused or led by people who haven’t done the job day to day, and that was clearly not what I wanted. Hence, one of our key practicalities is that we are not only accredited but the content is created and delivered by the people who have actually done the job.
I felt the opportunity because the pure whisky courses that take you straight to the experts were available but were not up to power.

Dear WHISKY：
What makes Edinburgh Whisky Academy courses special?

Kirsty：
First and foremost, our courses are independently verified. We are the world’s only Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) accredited whisky education centre.

Therefore, candidates leave with a recognized and reliable qualification when they achieve the assessment.

Our courses are audited annually, and our teachers, the assessment process, and everything are examined. 

Edinburgh Whisky Academy’s Philosophy

Accreditation, professionalism, neutral stance

Dear WHISKY：
What are the critical values of the Edinburgh Whisky Academy?

Kirsty：
There are three key pillars. First is a recognized qualification. With that, we got the SQA accreditation. The second is connecting the students straight to the experts. They are the ones who create the online material and deliver the material in person. The third is a totally brand-neutral stance. No marketing narrative or spin is included in the content we teach.

Those three pillars are really important to me because that was what I felt was lacking in the market prior to establishing the academy.

Dear WHISKY：
How are the courses designed?

Kirsty：
Each courses are structured around the Learning Outcome, which are the lessons that the candidate will have learned at the end of each module. Every course is quite a detailed process and is very clear about what will come from looking at the learning outcomes. There are assessments at the end of each course, which are moderately rigorous, and once you get the correct pass mark, you will receive a recognized qualification.

Dear WHISKY：
How do you select lecturers?

Kirsty：
We only work with those that are independent now, so they have previously worked for brands or in the industry and now they have a consultancy. Therefore, teachers are pretty hard to come by.

At the moment there are two main teachers who both have spent over 20 years in the industry and come from different backgrounds.

They are really passionate about education and sharing their knowledge.

Type of candidates at the Academy

Dear WHISKY：
What type of people do you get the most as a student?

Kirsty：
Interestingly, we have such a mix. We probably have about 45% internationals. In terms of age range, it’s just so varied to assume. We have a lot of younger people who are looking to get into the industry, treating this as their stepping stone. Then there are quite a lot of older people as well, who have now got the time to really explore their passion and learn more about whisky. It’s totally variable, and this makes for exciting courses.

It is such a fun dynamic because there are so many different backgrounds and reasons for them being there.

So there isn’t really a typical candidate.

Dear WHISKY：
Are there any Japanese students?

Kirsty：
No, Japan actually is one country that we don’t have much connection with, so we are desperate to gain more connection. We are really on the outlook for more candidates and so anyone that’s interested in connecting with us then, please do get in touch.

Flexible Course type and Delivery methods

Offering various courses both online and in-person

Dear WHISKY：
Why do EWA offer different types of delivery methods?

Kirsty：
To offer flexibility and let people pick how they prefer to learn. Primarily, some people really enjoy self-study, just log on when you’ve got time and go through on your own pace. While some people prefer the in-person, face-to-face environment.

Dear WHISKY：
What are the perks of learning whisky-related topics in person?

Kirsty：
It would be the samples provided by the course lecturers. Logistically, it’s nearly impossible for us to include samples for every course lecturer’s everyone’s around the world.

Many in-person course providers add in samples for each module to demonstrate the lessons you’re learning about.

Additionally, having someone physically there to ask questions are very vital. Although you have all the discussion buttons, and you can ask us questions any time, things being done remotely, would be completely different experience. 

Dear WHISKY：
Do you plan to open classes in Japan in the future?

Kirsty：
We’d love to. Its just we haven’t had much dealings in Japan. We would really like to cultivate and it’s definitely a key goal for next year. Because, obviously the Japanese whisky Market is very refined and progressed, it’s one of the region that Edinburgh Whisky Academy would be really interested in having a place in.

Private classes fitting anyone’s needs

Dear WHISKY：
What do your bespoke courses look like?

Kirsty：
For bespoke courses, it’s pretty flexible, and languages could be accommodated if they are online courses. You can translate them into as many languages as possible, and that’s where we can really go. The online bespoke certificate makes a fantastic induction program to get the education that you can also include your brand story and history into it. It’s a great way for candidates to learn in context.

Dear WHISKY：
Would it be possible to earn diploma through bespoke courses?

Kirsty：
Yes absoulutely. With regard to the diplomas, the bespoke courses tend to be more private groups, and they learn together. It’s a different way of doing it, and it is highly appreciated by a lot of whisky retail shops. They often book a bespoke diploma for all their staff, and then they learn together about its history or backstory.

This is not just an educational activity, it’s also team building.

And so it can answer and treat a lot of things at the same time.

Dear WHISKY：
What would giving the cooperation a class/staff training look like?

Kirsty：
In terms of delivering it internally, because of our accreditation, our teachers have to have a certain level of knowledge. Therefore, it’s impossible to pass it over to someone and let them teach the diploma. With that being said, as long as we have proper lecturer to teach, bespoke lecture can fit around induction programs, brand ambassador weeks, or brand employee weeks. For example, we have done courses for Kirsty McLeod where they will have a week of training for their employees and we will come in for two days of that.

Dear WHISKY：
Could those courses be delivered in other languages for international companies?

Kirsty：
It is very flexible, we are actually just off next year with three new teachers internationally.

Hence, one of our deployments will now be delivered in Spanish and Portuguese in Latin America, and Taiwanese in Asia. 

Shift in Whisky Industry and Edinburgh Whisky Academy’s role

As a sector to support Scotch whisky

Dear WHISKY：
How many graduates does Edinburgh Whisky Academy have?

Kirsty：
We are not sure about the exact number because we didn’t quite record them at the beginning and things were not paramount. On the current site, it says over 10,000 from all over the world. It has been such a joy to have face to face courses and meet so many varied people.

It is fascinating that they have gathered with the one common passion and collective goal to learn about whisky.

Developing alongside with the Scotch industry

Dear WHISKY：
What kind of shifts/trends have you seen in the whisky industry since you established the Edinburgh Whisky Academy?

Kirsty：
There have been many! So many new distilleries have started up in Scotland and abroad since 2015 and the market is continually evolving. I don’t think there has been one particular trend to mention, but I suppose overall it is the growth in popularity of single malt whisky globally, which is fantastic to see!

Dear WHISKY：
Have those trends influenced the Edinburgh Whisky Academy?

Kirsty：
In line with the development of established categories abroad we have released a Certificate in Irish Whiskey and are currently working on a Certificate in American Single Malt Whiskey. We would hope to expand on this in the future.

The goal would be to create courses for each key whisky region.

The amount of new whiskies that are coming out from different countries and the quality, they’re all fantastic. 

Dear WHISKY：
For those world whisky courses, do you plan to bring in the experts from each region?

Kirsty：
Since this would be online centered course, we would have a network of course providers who sort of license our material. In terms of American single malt, we are working with six different Americans single malt distillers to create this. One of the key parts of the academy is that we only work with the people that do the job. So you’re going straight to the experts and getting their knowledge and their insights because as well as the factual knowledge, there’s also the sort of learning process of how it works, and that’s also a really valid insight into the industry.

Edinburgh Whisky Academy’s current State

Kirsty at the Edinburgh Whisky Academy

Dear WHISKY：
Could you give us a brief overview of your working day?

Kirsty：
I work from home most of the time and I live in a very small village in the Highlands, very close to Royal Lochnagar Distillery. I am surrounded by beautiful scenery and nature which makes working from home a real joy. I travel to my home town of Edinburgh almost every week for meetings with the Edinburgh Whisky Academy team and clients. At the moment I’m working on a new Edinburgh Whisky Academy Certificate course along with a bespoke education course for one of our clients.

Dear WHISKY：
Are there especially memorable moments from your experience at the Edinburgh Whisky Academy?

Kirsty：
I’m really passionate about people furthering their understanding and appreciation of single malt whisky, so to read the positive feedback that we get from candidates who have taken one of our courses means so much to me. I know how frustrating it is when you don’t quite understand the whisky making process but you really want to, and then the sudden clarify of thought and confidence that you gain once you do understand it.

I love seeing that in our candidates and I feel their excitement with their new found knowledge.

Future Prospects

Future of the industry

Dear WHISKY：
What do you think the future of the whisky industry will look like?

Kirsty：
I think there will be many changes, but the category as a whole will continue to thrive and grow.

I, for one, am very excited to see what the next 5 – 10 years will bring.

Dear WHISKY：
What are the future prospects of the Edinburgh Whisky Academy?

Kirsty：
At the moment, we are developing a few more online courses and sort of an Uber course, which is the one above the diploma. This will be a week long course where you’ll have lectures in the morning and hands on experiences in the afternoon. Therefore, we’re looking at launching that in October this year and excited for that. Meanwhile, it will be continuing what we’re doing and try to bring more people into the community. We’re really going to focus on our alumni, creating some fantastic chats and a great alumni program and keeping the engagement and the interest up and really just pursuing the whisky education go.

Message for the Dear WHISKY Readers

Dear WHISKY：
Could you give our reader a message?

Kirsty：
I really look forward to hopefully seeing you on an Academy chat and just keep enjoying whisky. I am really privileged to be in this fantastic industry and it’s a great community. Make sure to just keep learning, it’s so much fun.

At Last

Pioneering whisky education by bringing in brand-neutral whisky professionals, Edinburgh Whisky Academy has redefined the idea of learning whisky. Being accredited by the SQA, they further took that to approach broader whisky world and spread its popularity internationally beside whisky industry’s rapid evolution recently. As one of the only few whisky education Centre, their flexible bespoke courses and tireless effort to refining services truly embody Kirsty and her team’s relentless devotion towards pure and high-quality whisky education to be standardize in this industry.

To sign up for the Edinburgh Whisky Academy courses, click here.