Patrick Maguire, Sullivans Cove’s Head Distiller, was inducted into the global Icons of Whisky Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Adelaide last night.
Maguire is just the second Australian to receive this highest possible recognition from Icons of Whisky, after Bill Lark was awarded the honour in 2015.
“It’s humbling to be included in such an incredible group of people from the world of whisky. When we were playing around with stills and barrels in the early days, I never would have imagined that I’d end up here. We just made the whisky we wanted to drink, and we’re so proud that other people from this industry around the world think that’s a thing worth celebrating,” Maguire said.
I’d like to thank everyone I have worked with at the distillery, our supporters, suppliers within Australia, and importers and distributors globally for their contribution to our success.”
As well as Lark, other inductees in the Hall of Fame include including famed whisky writer Michal Jackson, former Head Blender of Suntory Whiskies Dr Koichi Inatomi and Master Blender of Johnnie Walker Dr Jim Beverage.
Maguire has overseen production at Sullivans Cove since 1999, and was responsible for the French Oak Single Cask, which earned global prominence when it won the World’s Best Single Malt Whisky at the World Whiskies Awards in 2014.
Sullivans Cove Production Manager, Heather Tillott, was also awarded Highly Commended in the Master Distiller/Blender category for the Icons of Whisky Australia at the same ceremony last night.
