153: Meet Brian Nation, O’Shaughnessy Distilling's Irish Master Distiller

An American distillery with Irish heritage in its veins, O’Shaughnessy Distilling Company has engaged a modern legendary distiller of  Irish Whiskey to grow a product line which embraces the best of both whiskey worlds. Combining a classic American Rye with two Irish Whiskies, Master Distiller Brian Nation is looking to put Minnesota on the world whiskey map. The O’Shaughnessy Family convinced Brian to leave an established and world-renowned Irish distillery to perfect his own passion project.  Brian explains why he made this massive leap in his career in this episode, but in the words of Brian’s mother, “What’s for you, won’t go by you.”  We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did.  We were honored to have Brian on the Bourbon Lens podcast.  Download this episode on your favorite podcast player by clicking here. 

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About Keeper’s Heart - O'Shaughnessy Distilling

The Story

O’Shaughnessy Distilling Company was founded with a belief that the spirit of family and friends, and our shared experiences together, provide us with deep connection and meaning in our lives. Our whiskey was created to celebrate the spirit of family, support our community, and leave a meaningful legacy for generations to come. We believe that the spirit of family is the strongest positive force in the world, and we are committed to celebrating the moments worth keeping.

Several years ago, cousins Patrick and Michael O’Shaughnessy, along with Michael’s father Gerry, were sharing a bottle of whiskey at the end of a long and joyous day at an O’Shaughnessy family reunion. They were reflecting on the importance of family; on how to make sure future generations stayed connected; and the legacy they wanted to leave.

As conversation went deeper into the night and more whiskey was poured, they had a realization: the answer was right there in the glass.

It was at that point they set out to create a whiskey that celebrated their Irish American heritage and the cousins set off to Ireland. They sent a chance email to whom they considered the finest Master Distiller in the world - Brian Nation – and much to their surprise, Brian responded and a meeting in Dublin was put on the books.

That 30-minute meeting turned into a 5-hour meal as Michael, Patrick, Brian, and his wife Una, created an immediate connection. A new family was forming, and a vision was emerging: to blend the best of Irish and American whiskey traditions to create something entirely new.

The  Distillery

The team set out to make their vision a reality, and while they procured some of the finest stocks of aged whiskey, they knew they needed to make their own. They needed a place where Brian, the legendary Master Distiller responsible for making some of the most renowned products on the market, could fulfill his desire to innovate and push the category beyond expectations.

They began creating the O’Shaughnessy Distillery in an old potato factory right in the heart of their hometown of Minneapolis. At the heart of the world-class distillery are three beautiful copper pot stills, the key to making Irish style whiskey. The distillery opened to the public in Summer 2021 and boasts a guided education tour, a tasting room, multiple bar areas, private spaces for events, food service, and outdoor patio seating. The distillery is destined to become a home away from home for all whiskey lovers.

The 30,000 square foot distillery houses more than 15,000 square feet dedicated entirely to the whiskey making process, including the signature component: three wondrous copper pot stills (SHOW NOTE: 8000 Liter Wash Still, 6000 Liter Feints Still, 6000 Liter Spirits Still or approximately 2113 Gallon Wash Still, 1585 Gallon Feints Still, and 1585 Gallon Spirits Still). The remainder of the distillery is comprised of the Keeper’s Heart Whiskey Lounge, featuring unique shared spaces for people to come together and enjoy. From our Main Bar centered around our three copper pot stills, our Potato Bar, paying homage to our building’s history and our Irish American heritage as well as our outdoor Spirits Garden and Rooftop Terrace. 

The  Whiskey

From this vision, team and place, Keeper’s Heart Irish American Whiskey was born. Steeped in passion, dedicated to quality and committed to creating the moments worth keeping, Keeper’s Heart is the first whiskey to blend the best of Irish and American traditions.

At Keeper’s Heart, we believe that time is the most important ingredient in making great whiskey but also great relationships. Time spent with loved ones, family, and friends who are considered family. Conversations that go weirdly deep, that end in laughter, tears of joy and rich meaning. Those are the moments worth keeping.

That is why we lift our glass to you and toast with our family motto: Fugit Hora, the hour flies.

Keeper’s Heart Irish American Whiskey is launching summer 2021, with Master Distiller Brian Nation showcasing the art of blending hand selected pot still and grain whiskies from Ireland with an American Rye Whiskey to create a truly unique liquid.

At the same time, we’re also developing our own liquid made from 100% American grains in the traditional Irish style, using a triple copper pot still – while the tasting profile will remain consistent this will also allow us to constantly evolve and experiment with different styles of whiskies.

We are so proud of the partners we are working with to create this one-of-a-kind liquid and can’t wait for everyone to try it!

Our first expression highlights the Irish whiskey’s notes of baking spices which pair beautifully with the American whiskey’s sweetness and lingering notes of charred oak.

Keeper’s Heart offers a unique membership program, Cask Society, which provides whiskey fans with the opportunity to purchase a one-of-a-kind barrel. For more information, please visit https://keepersheartwhiskey.com/.

Our Logo

Every element of our logo was carefully considered to tell a part of our story:

• Keeper’s 
  • Represents our desire to cherish the important elements of life: loved ones, time, traditions. It is also our tip of the cap to that community whose mission is to serve: the world’s barkeepers.
• The Heart
  • Everything we do comes from the heart, with passion and honesty. We also always carefully select the heart of the distillation.
• The Keep
  • Traditionally every castle has a Keep—the innermost sanctum where the family’s most prized possessions are kept. Our Keep represents the specialness of the liquid created by Master Distiller Brian Nation.
• The Clock
  • Represents the specialness of time spent together and a reminder from the family to enjoy every moment.
• The Keys
  • Your invitation from the family to join ours. We look forward to unlocking experiences together.
• Fugit Hora: “The Hour Flies”
  • slow down and enjoy every moment. It’s our family motto and a celebration of the most important ingredient—time.

Keeper’s Heart Irish + American Whiskey

Keeper’s Heart Whiskey is the passion project of Master Distiller Brian Nation.  Aiming to combine the best of Irish and American whiskey traditions, Keeper’s Heart is a blend of Irish Triple Pot distilled whiskey, Irish Grain Whiskey and American Rye.  The liquid pairs the Irish whiskey’s notes of baking spices with the American whiskey’s sweetness and lingering notes of charred oak. Nation collaborated on the blending of the liquid with Liquid Collaborator and Advisor, David Perkins, founder of High West Distillery. Perkins will continue to work closely alongside Brian Nation as the two explore and create new innovations in Whiskey.

“I can’t wait for everyone to try what has truly become my biggest passion project,” shared Brian Nation, Master Distiller at O’Shaughnessy Distilling Company. “To create a truly new and unique style of whiskey is a dream come true for any distiller and I can’t wait to continue experimenting and innovating with such a great team.”

“Our ambition is to put Keeper’s Heart on the world whiskey map, creating a brand with a global reach that is rooted in our hometown of Minneapolis and embodies our Irish American heritage”, said Mike Duggan, CEO of O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co.

For additional information, please visit www.osdistilling.com and www.keepersheartwhiskey.com. 

Show Links:

• O'Shaughnessy Distilling Co.: Home
• An Irish Journey: Brian Nation On The Move To America
• US distillery appoints Brian Nation master distiller
• Why the Former Master Distiller of Jameson Is Headed to Minnesota
• O'Shaughnessy Master Distiller Brian Nation on blending Irish and American whiskey traditions
• Master distiller Brian Nation moves on from Irish Distillers
• Keeper’s Heart Marks the Debut of a New Style of Whiskey