the INTERNSHIP Volume II
Written by Molly Troupe
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mall craft distilleries also have small production teams. As these distilleries grow, so does their team. For small companies, it is normal to want to protect growth, and a common occurrence is to hire people you already know to fill any roles that become available. However, this can lead to an insular, noncreative, lackadaisical team, filled with hive mentality and a lack of differing opinions. Ultimately, it can stunt creativity and growth. It is the responsibility of distillery leadership positions to look around the room and see who is not represented. It is our responsibility to cast larger nets than our immediate circles and to hire the unfamiliar. Most importantly, it is our job to create opportunities and open doors for those who have had access denied to them by gatekeeping with paid internships. Many distilleries, like the iconic Uncle Nearest, are taking the initiative to start internship programs to specifically help those who have been underrepresented in our field. Other distilleries are also stepping up to dispel barriers in the hopes of making the spirits industry an inclusive field. Freeland Spirits started an internship program in the fall of 2020 geared towards giving women and people of color the experience needed to start distillery careers. With only a small production team at hand, Lee Hedgmon and I worked to develop a program that would be simultaneously encouraging and challenging, to showcase the truths of being a part of production.
the LESSON PLAN One of the most important elements to a good internship is a lesson plan. When we were first developing Freeland’s lesson plan, we spent time processing and thinking about our initial industry experiences. The hurdles, the triumphs, who offered mentorship, and who guarded the gate. Thinking about our own experiences, both positive and negative, allowed us to dive into what was really needed for someone just starting in our field. We spent time discussing what we would have wanted if we were in our intern’s shoes. We spent over a month cultivating a lesson plan. It included lessons for: mashing, low wines distillation, spirit runs, gin runs, and ready-to-drink production. It included scheduled tasting panels, field trips, and a project that would start in the first few weeks and end the last week of the internship. This lesson plan spanned all four months of our internship, detailing activities for each day. Once this lesson plan was developed, we sent it to our academic and industry contacts to get their thoughts. The feedback helped hone the material, and the week before our intern was due to start the entire lesson plan was finalized.
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When first developing an internship lesson plan, we spent time processing and thinking about our own initial industry experiences. The hurdles, the triumphs, who offered mentorship, and who guarded the gate. 85