Although his official title is on-premise development manager, Barrett is better known as the whiskey professor since he travels the country conducting educational training and tasting sessions for bar and restaurant employees, on behalf of the Jack Daniel's Distillery.
How did he become a whiskey professor? During the summers while he was in the University of Wisconsin pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary education, he funded his education by working in the malt house of the local G. Heileman Brewing Company in LaCrosse.
On a grant from the Brewers' Association of the Americas, Barrett returned to school in California where he studies wine-making and brewing and received a master's degree in food and fermentation science from the University of California at Davis. He also directed brewing at a number of noteworthy craft and commercial breweries before becoming the brewmaster for the Jack Daniel Brewery where he developed beer that was aged with oak wood from used Jack Daniel's whiskey barrels.
"Making beer is similar to making whiskey. Both start with natural grains, water and yeast. Both go through fermentation. In fact, you make a distiller1s beer during the whiskey-making process," explains Barrett.
When Jack Daniel's decided to get out of the beer business, it was only natural for Barrett to combine his teaching skills and his knowledge of the whiskey business into a role that would put him in an unconventional classroom giving lessons to bartenders.
"The folks who work in bars and restaurants are interested in knowing more about the products they serve so they can share that knowledge with their customers," said Barrett. "And, I guess you could say I1m something of a spiritual advisor. I don't tell them what to serve, but rather what they are serving," says Barrett.
During a typical class, Barrett talks about whiskey, bourbon and scotches. He pulls items from his wooden case to keep his students engaged. He passes around jars filled with corn, rye, barley malt and water to help illustrate the natural ingredients that are an important part of the whiskey-making process.
Barrett also conducts tastings for consumer and trade groups, where the lesson focuses on the whiskeys of the world, single malt Scotch, Irish whiskey, Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee whiskey and what makes them different.
"Whiskeys, like wines, are complex. I want to help people recognize the difference subtleties and nuances of whiskeys so they can understand and enjoy what they are drinking."
"With the increased popularity of American spirits and classic cocktails, bartenders are discovering they need to be more knowledgeable about the spirits they are pouring," says Barrett. "They also know sharing that knowledge can bring higher tips from their customers."
Jack Daniel
Jack Daniel's Distillery, Lynchberg, TN
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