Hawaii could soon be welcoming a new distillery after a postgraduate student at Scotland’s Heriot-Watt University won a prestigious entrepreneurial award.
Canadian student Ethan Wang, 42, wants to open a new distillery on Hawaii’s scenic volcanic island of Maui and said he was in “total shock” after winning cash and support from an industry membership organisation to help make his idea happen.
The award, called the Worshipful Company of Distillers’ Entrepreneurship Award, is designed to help students apply their science in the real world and is run jointly by Heriot-Watt’s respected International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) and The Worshipful Company of Distillers, a historic trade association in the City of London.
“Maui is an ocean paradise and is one of the finest places in the world to get botanical ingredients and clean flavours,” said Ethan, who is currently studying online with ICBD to complete a Master of Science degree in Brewing and Distilling.
“Winning this award was such great news to wake up to in Hawaii. It will help me buy additional expensive tools for flavour extraction – and having an experienced industry body to guide me with my planning will be a huge help.”
Ethan is originally from Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, where he studied a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Victoria. He first visited Hawaii during his early career in accountancy and finance and got married there in 2011. Since then, he has visited Maui, the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, every year.
Ethan says the £5,000 prize money from the award is an important addition to the personal savings he is investing to open the distillery, which will produce spirits including gin, vodka, blended whisky, Japanese shochu – a spirit typically distilled from ingredients including rice, barley and sweet potatoes – and Korean soju, also traditionally made from rice.
Called the Kamehameha Distillery, Ethan’s distillery will be based in Kula, a scenic rural area of Maui on the slopes of a dormant volcano called Haleakalā.
“The site offers sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and the lush, rolling hills of upcountry Maui,” Ethan says. “Hawaii’s tropical climate is warm and humid, but up in Kula, the air is cooler and crisper, especially in the evenings. This variation in temperature, along with the volcanic soil and the sea air, has a profound influence on the ingredients we use, from the hibiscus flowers to the sea grapes. The clean, fresh environment helps preserve the natural flavours, giving our products a unique and authentic taste that truly reflects the land they come from.”
Kamehameha’s products are designed to appeal particularly to American and Japanese markets. But Ethan’s longer-term vision is to expand globally and to create opportunities locally in Hawaii.
“Supporting the island’s economy is vital – and I want to create meaningful opportunities for the local community, including creating jobs and fostering partnerships with local farmers and suppliers,” he says. “In the long term, I see Kamehameha Distillery expanding beyond Hawaii and introducing the world to unique, authentic Hawaiian flavours. International expansion is a goal, as I want our spirits to be enjoyed globally, not just as beverages but as an experience of Hawaiian culture.”
Heriot-Watt University has been researching brewing and distilling since 1903 and formed the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling in 1990 to meet the needs of the brewing, distilling and malting industries worldwide. Part of the university’s School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, the centre has an international reputation for learning and teaching in brewing and distilling. Its degrees prepare students to enter the malting, brewing or distilling industries and cover a broad range of subjects including brewing and distilling science, chemical engineering, business studies and production management. The centre’s on-campus facilities in Edinburgh include a 200-litre capacity brewery, a mobile mashing unit and cereal cooker, a mash filter, fermentation vessels, stills and a laboratory.
Dr David Jenkins, Assistant Professor in Brewing and Distilling at ICBD and also an MSc programme leader, said: “Ethan’s plans for his Hawaiian distillery are incredibly exciting and it’s fantastic to help fund his vision. Jumping from a science degree to the real world can be challenging – so our focus is on helping students apply what they learn to their own entrepreneurial ideas. There are always new opportunities in the drinks industry – and we look forward to seeing Ethan’s business grow.”
Lorne MacKillop of the Worshipful Company of Distillers – the company’s ‘Master’ this year and figurehead – has spent 47 years in the wines and spirits sector. He said: “Education is an important part of our role and we support a number of awards and scholarships in the science of distilling. These are designed to help students achieve excellence in their craft and apply their knowledge to real-world businesses and innovations. We were hugely impressed with Ethan’s submission for our Heriot-Watt University award and are delighted to support him in his new venture.”
The Worshipful Company of Distillers (the WCD) was formed in 1638 when King Charles I granted the company a Royal Charter. The organisation is a City Livery Company – a trade guild that once acted as a modern day trade association, but whose powers to regulate alcoholic spirits were discontinued in the 19th Century. Today its function revolves around industry philanthropy, education, networking and fellowship.
The company’s industry mentoring capacity will involve providing a hand-picked mentor from amongst those members freely giving their time to help support mentees like Ethan. The WCD has run its mentoring scheme for three years and has about 45 mentees presently in the programme, chosen from those students who are sponsored with bursaries at the training providers used.
Ethan hopes to have the Kamehameha Distillery open by the end of 2024.
