raw materials
PAVING THE WHEY Why a food scientist went Wheyward with whey BY EMILY DARCHUK
Anyone who makes a craft spirit from scratch knows it’s a labor of love and an unexpected turn of events that often brings you to where you are today. That was certainly the case for how I came to found Wheyward Spirit and start the Wheyward journey I’ve taken as the founder of a category-bending spirit like ours. Before starting Wheyward Spirit, I worked as a food scientist and product developer with a passion for sustainable food production. I’ve always cared about where food comes from, and as a scientist, I had a natural curiosity and the practical skills to make a difference through innovation. I had the opportunity to commercialize a wide variety of products over the years, but spending time working in the dairy industry left me with a lasting impact of seeing the pain point of whey waste first-hand. For every 1 pound of cheese produced, there are 9 pounds of nutrient-rich whey left behind, creating a logistical and at times ecological burden for producers and the local community. Of the 110 billion pounds of whey produced annually in the U.S., about half leaves the human food chain. The biggest realization I had through my journey in the food industry, especially with a delicate and delicious ingredient like whey, is that
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what we see as waste isn’t really waste. By taking a holistic look at our food system, we can bridge gaps in existing supply chains and handcraft a product that adds value to our producers and customers, inspiring the DNA of Wheyward Spirit. At Wheyward Spirit, we like to say our name has a double meaning. First and foremost, we are very proud to be the first and only whey specialty spirit, and second is our Wheyward Mentality to break the status quo and do things differently for the right reasons. We take a holistic approach to fermentation and distillation to have a clear spirit with a signature flavor that is sippable and versatile while making a sustainable difference through our sourcing. In the spirit of sustainability and adding value to the industry by making a better tasting alcohol, we partner with domestic dairies to upcycle whey as the fermentative base of our spirit instead of using a traditional grain, fruit or agave. This prevents food waste and creates the opportunity to give that whey its highest and best use. We are giving back to the food system and creating a sippable spirit that’s made for something more. By upcycling and building a circular economy approach
to production at scale, we reduce the strain of food waste on the environment, maximize the inputs of food production, and lower the impact of spirit production. The decision to be flavor-focused shaped our categorization as a specialty spirit versus a neutral spirit like vodka. We see Wheyward Spirit as a natural evolution of agriculturally based spirits more analogous in complexity to a Blanco tequila but with a signature flavor and unique versatility that is true to our whey source.
For every 1 pound of cheese produced, there are 9 pounds of nutrient-rich whey left behind, creating a logistical and at times ecological burden for producers and the local community. C R AF T S PI R I T S MAG .CO M