EP257: The Team Behind Old Dominick Distillery and One Mother’s Escape From A Sudanese Death Sentence to America

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Some of our favorites. We especially love bringing you stories about family businesses and today we bring you one with a long history begins with the frontcourt in 1859. Alex Kessel master distiller old Dominic distillery to tell us the history of this Memphis family business that one thing about working for a company's history and sex, and tangible history of family so many documents in letterbox letters. I don't know what they were thinking. When I held on to say, I know where but very happy that it's there now. Family history isn't just some story that passed down by word of mouth.

It is a history that is very, very real and that we can show to every line just how authentic that story is to be able to be part of such authentic story and hopefully be part of its history. Eventually, since it's very rewarding. Our founder came over to the state in 1859 Landon New Orleans and at best. Family here is uncle business already inside work first uncle building is literally about 100 yards from the current distillery for a couple years and decided to start his own company in 1866, at which time he founded the company start a modest fruit cart. Just go straight selling fruit over the years that grew much bigger distribution charges relating here refrigerated trucks and decided in the midst of all that you found distiller's product heated by each product barrels from other states that we have records of barrels from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and he would bring him down on the railroads and blend them here under the label of all Dominic, it was actually one of the biggest whiskey Prince in the southern region.

During that time.

And of course probation hits and so all Dominic was the had to stop being produced. Fortunately the other parts of the company continued on the freight distribution. Distribution that continued on through prevention and sadly Dominique I did not see the repeal of prohibition actually died just a few days before nine company continued on, just without the whiskey bring it to the late 90s actually sold off the food distribution that still maintain that there distribution. They had said they were the best distributor Memphis in 2000 I believe it was actually sell that off as well and said they kinda had lost all of their Memphis foothold had other businesses, other investments, just nothing actually in Memphis and so in 2013 when they found a bottle of Dominic Toddy. Basically, they found this bottle full still lacks and they decided to crack it open.

I believe one of them actually tasted the liquid had that liquid analyze the Senate to California to see if we can figure out what actually was in that product has with all of the documents that the family held onto. They never held onto the recipe for this product. Figure and so with the help of the lab out in California they learned the different components that were present in the auto couldn't figure out the exact ratios or anything like that so no specific recipe but they were able to figure out what was in it and then from there we essentially reverse engineered it and so today's president personality Junior wanted to see the company get back to Memphis wanted more than just their headquarters to be here. He decided this seems like a cool idea. Someone said well I sell the brand. He said now this is how we get back to Memphis and so he and his cousin Alex canal.

I decided to open up but is now all Dominic distillery that construction project officially started in 20 and that was the same year that they decided to bring on a head distiller and I was lucky enough to get a message on LinkedIn. I have nothing better to do. I said sure I'll come down for an interview and ended at deciding to move to Memphis. That same year and so about a year of construction and we were actually ready to produce the first whiskey, not just out of all Dominic, but the first whiskey produced in Memphis ever. There were no distilleries here even before prohibition so December 2016 was a big year for all Dominic and for Memphis and then flash forward a couple months May 2017. We were actually finished with all of construction and open to the public for resource and since then we have added multiple products we now have to. We have our Memphis Toddy we have Jen come out and we also have our healing station bourbon healing station line were about to release even more products under it. It's been a very, very busy 22 and half years and you know it's counsel and she's the head distiller old Dominic distillery. What a thing to do and what a way to honor a family heritage.

Waterway donors should and will we come back we'll hear more of this remarkable story from head distiller Alex Kessel the story of old Dominic distillery a local story Oxford will be broadcast is a mere hour's drive south from the great city of Memphis story to tell Americans view of the great American stories we tell him love America like we do, risking you to become a part of the all American stories family.

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Well American stories.com will go to the donate button and help us keep the great American stories coming so American stories.com. The story of old Dominic distillery in Memphis Tennessee master distiller notes cancel the first female master distiller in the state of Tennessee. At the first whiskey distillery in Memphis use Alex Tillis first cell I and RSI from Kentucky. I grab in a small town called Burlington about 12 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio is definitely type a high school fell in love with maths and sciences in the I wanted to do something with and was talking to my mom trying to figure out what can I do with my life because it 15.

You need to know what to do with the rest of your life. She'd been reading some articles and came across chemical engineering sounds perfect, but I can't teach what you do with that and my mom doesn't drink said you can make here start reading the master cylinder may bourbon. That's perfect.

That's exactly what I wanted to truthfully have no idea what why it sounded interesting because I was one of those people did not drink my semi-mounted drink. We didn't have bourbon in the house at that point. My only experience with urban ways. My parents taking me to maker's Mark ivory six years old and hated it absolutely hated it. I remember my dad sticking his finger in the fermenter and eating it and I thought I would throw up just so precious to me. I didn't like the smell of that room and then hit her first start of the tour.

The end of the tour, but they were handing out such a kid I absolutely want some facts no one told me was bourbon fed does not taste like such.

It was horrible.

So that means you will experience a bourbon. I really have no idea why this industry. But last 15 or 16 that just sounded so perfect and being from Kentucky. Now it is a part of my heritage.

Even if we were involved in in silex. I went to the University of Kentucky to study chemical engineering, and was fortunate enough to get a co-op is in school with a small company not so small now that small company in Lexington called LTAC and at the time they did animal nutrition supplement and how to bury that's perfect that I wanted to do beer while I was there they sneakily added to pot stills into the bury and had no one to run them or clean them, for that matter. And so my boss sent me and one other person from the engineering office to clean them because they come all the way from Scotland. They had a lot of dirt on them from the travel shortly after that is when he asked me if I wanted to observe legislations and not just polish still speak next to help run and instead of observing actually got to run the distillation that day my boss forgot that he had to take his kids to the dentist that I show up. He says that same home in the office can be boring and instead in about five minutes ran me through the entire process. Instead, if you have to just shut it down. I'll be back later and they left inside ran the cells that day did not have to shut them down. Thankfully, I guess because I managed to do that first day I was cheap labor. They didn't hire anyone else so they just let me do it. From that point on I filled over first hundred barrels. I believe it was a pure science research and from that day on. Now it's all I wanted to do. I just want to make whiskey and I set off on that path.

Fortunate enough to know people in the industry and get my foot in the door and stayed in it. Ever since, so after college I have.

I did one year making laundry detergent because the industry is growing. Everyone was still so new nobody was making money which meant they couldn't hire anybody. No one was hiring at the time but fortunately when the guys aced work with all TAC remembered that I wanted to be an industry and so connect me with his friend who was a recruiter was hiring for wild Turkey and so managed to get on distillery production supervisor at wild Turkey about a year after I graduated college and worked there for four years. Start off as the number two supervisor in about a month. That supervisor got shifted to a different department, so I very quickly became the number one supervisor for four years I was overseeing all of production at wild Turkey responsible for third shift and first shift the hours that were spectacular.

I woke up at 2 AM every day. So definitely cut my teeth in a really good way at their and then it was randomly the beginning of 2015 I got that message on LinkedIn asking if I knew anyone who would be interested in start up distillery in Memphis and took about two days to think about my resume and and my first trip to Memphis was for the interview fell in love with the place of the city immediately, but also fell in love with the company I everyone I met during that weekend was absolutely fantastic and then ask about me into the distillery, which at the time was a completely empty building.

The stairs were absolutely terrifying. But I went at them in heels and that but seeing the space and seeing how much work was to be done.

I can see the challenge that it was in at the time he didn't know I wanted that kind of challenge but seeing it having it put right in front of me. I realize that's exactly what I needed intelligence. The whole concept really doing start to finish with this company.

With this brand was so thrilling creating a new brand and product is incredibly stressful, but it was exhilarating. So just the distillery itself is we do consider the physical space a product for us. You actually had to sit in on interior design meetings help pick tile bathrooms and light fixtures in is amazing how much I enjoyed that with the products themselves.

Of course had to develop the liquid which was super fun. My nerdy side came out but I also got to have input on the bottles themselves.

The shapes the labels, how they looked everything I got input on all of it Mercy where I came from no say in any I would never have say in any of that. And so to be able to put my stamp on every aspect of the product and the brand.

It was incredibly rewarding. Say I'm fortunate to have owners who really do trust their employees that faith in their employees. They hired you to do something they're going to do to make sure they let you do that job and like on a personal level. It's great actually take along with her friends. We've gone on trips together and over the years. I think I've proven myself to them where they've let me take more and more control and kinda oversee the day-to-day operations of the distillery. Don't let anyone tell you can't do it. Women engineers are releasing more thing.

When I entered college and female distiller's weren't saying at the time either, so there were a lot of people who are saying that now maybe, maybe go somewhere else, maybe do something else and I ignored all 11 and just push through and now you see female distiller's everywhere see women opening their own distilleries is fantastic mean it's seeing women in the industry does right along with just how much the industry has grown and changed in recent years used to be super labor-intensive rolling around a 500 pound barrel not the easiest thing.

Most women probably don't really want to do that but so many things are now automated at that labor aspect really isn't there. Yes, the working conditions can be very interesting. You're standing in hundred 50° temperatures on a regular basis can put up with that just as well as men can women actually have better taste better sense of taste better sense of smell, so if anything were actually more qualified to be doing and so it's I love going to conferences every year and there are more and more women each year and it is it's fantastic to not be the only one at the table anymore. So to see everyone embracing this change in the industry. It's the best time be part of it in great job by Robbie on the piece finding it producing the piece. Special thanks to Alex Castle that was her voice. The city of Memphis old Dominic distillery their story know it's Christmas on our American and we continue with our American stories Arctic story comes to us from the mother of two living in Virginia begins far from there, but secularism. I came was born on November 1987 and you can consider that if Sudan my mother off the wall from 2 PM when she is 10 years old, was her sister.

They lost most of their families, and videos. The onus took five members of the family on this subtle and that if you use can on one my mom was 16 she met was my father on the estimated all my fellow virginity from that for the Pagano distillery is dead. He killed a man, and different type of man is his honor killing is a man is in the relationship with my aunt, my father's younger sister.

So my father find out about the them. They made a note show the so he gets so angry and he went on and killed them on and when did he come to exist far away it is just too high because all the fun really sick and event so that's what he meant is my mom lived to my youngest sister was born. This edition get motivated by item while also the five issue can be done and when we came while. Then I went in the middle. The stubs of fighting we beat and also so he knew that if and they got divorce would decide to move funds that if you can.

I always have many question about my father summit when we moved to that list you to check getting our last name and everything because I didn't know these entities lived on the time this almost question how like why you don't want us to know my dad's family. Why don't want us to be connected to so children that actually for all prediction so we moved to zest CD and is actually a lot of Muslims groups in that area so I have my youngest brother has sent on the English system so my brother was totally defendant then my mom and I because he's extremist Muslim ended when we most is a big city he did he felt was at the top of the mom's mom was sick for him. Like if she ever tried to stop him out to go shoot get immediate get killed so she tried her best to convince him.

I did try my best, but it didn't help so sweet and minimal entities. All students no matter what. You have to bus this full subject at a big English, math, and Islamic studies Islamic study include study aikido code, and as soon as thought it would unfold out okay you moment I description soon about the life of Mohammed and that I did about the life of the Saha bonds. I was supposed to do muddy business on structure put everything you do it as a way to accuse a bottle many, the way you communicate his unbelief. The way you do a wallet the way you do business with bank account money do muddy. Everything so we have to do that. Like I have all the knowledge about what I'm and then ingested tuition. I will stand by my peaches because we stand and they sitting next to Muslim student and you he is a teach ship, you know, said loud and you have to debate if that happens it best to set us. Think how to do and believe and how God would punish them in house. He had bet that you know how the hell I would like to be left at half so this thought like talking to me know you have to follow these you have to say this because a lot said said and I just don't want like I don't want the same time when I come home I tell my mom that the kid knew this was my mom would sit and I like to have seen this fee would always respond to aggressive behavior of the mom's and mostly aims, indeed, is responsible for religious minority is that we got to do what they want to be in peace like that and be assessed with Nissan. I always said we didn't so close minded wish and as my sister says and then a few months later my mom was doing. She walk she had a restaurant on the highway between the city of Godiva on the dotted and one of the things she does she help these a lot of human task and smoking that idiot and one of the thing my mom did is when the smoking looking in the scales.

She questioned them she sees them like my 10 years all sushi should question them.

She offered him him if you need.

So she went on to report that the correct offices went on and told the smuggler this woman you have to "buy this one because she stopped talking to the guilds are gasping gentle and goes so I get to know she was, not there was an accident. As it was twice yeah so the now here, my mom, dad and spend a lot of things and I get to know what my sister-in-law she's in a wheelchair and my priesthood like you met him on the personal trust so that's how we can frames and then they get to know how to plug the get Maddie to game so as to have my own list. My first child.

My husband list using. In the United States, go to Sudan so I scheduled muddy achievement. He came to ask if I was pregnant. His office child so I started my own business that my mom left upon me that she was the house slumped saving for me so I use that business assault harvested in. I did pretty well on the and then out of the side and a husband.

Also inducted.

Sudan is done. My son was calling. Then I saw the decedent's phone call about family members that are looking for me didn't become fun then to police the phone call to go to support a suspicion question. This is funny and they want to back this why my mom always wanted me to connect to Zucca so and I find out they know when I leave and everything like why don't you guys come and look my suit, my daughter, because we know you living a long life. So what you mean because we know you could check and you might just holding my sonic told the office. I have a family of my own. Now what is not effeminate dumping that dreaded 20 suspicion so he said no. This is a family and they want you to back and say all right to his office at the because if you don't follow the Muslim supposed to be living superpubic too many losses like today. Kim did a hot so I'm like building a business is providing Joseph what many people, including even like it if you do feel that it is so like no you all committing out of you been listening to Miriam sure her story of wife and Sudan before the came America to live in Virginia when we come back for this remarkable story on our American stores and we continue with our American stories and with Miriam Ibrahim story and so many millions of Americans end up our shores suffering from some type of persecution which is otherwise let's pick up we last left off with Miriam and her story so September 2015 go back to call every day just question what you this Muslim man I cement my Christian name and us & the stitches Muslim so the guests wanted me just to say except what they said and you know I said okay you know what is it phoniness it was what happened to my children, my time at the time I didn't know was putting so much child after this is all for because he's losing a child and then you going to get one luscious goes. If I really and Christmas Eve 2015 was sent to jail responded like you know you can't respond to Gaia as a woman did to open you to look at the judge's face talk to you can do that. So just be bonded had gone comforting fast you here on this quiet evening believing that you know that even so, I'm before I go to jail have to go through to do medical tests and then click in pigmented and I wasn't prepared to have second child of the time, but this time stopped happening and I don't thing was a good thing for me, but got have a different role. This ship you pregnant and what went to jail getting the news that I'm putting what I mean this and I'm very confused and a bit upset and picked out so is Cynthia and these other women when walking all the space through season, so sad holding my sonic somehow walking was long day just fell asleep on a diskless madness of let me pray so and out of the side and a and he is deep voice you're not alone and open my eyes and Emily, you said you when you the other women to sell stuff locking in the cold to sit and crazy they put channels on my feet chance because my client is an adult and apostasy. Now the specific distances for apostasy and hundred luscious photo but didn't have the same best give me three days he gets so I'm on my own.

The time but from called the blue zone.

I was praying and I would like okay today is any just like all Jonah was in the well three days. Jesus was in the home for 30 days. This have to be medicals at a beauty. You did have for me and I'm just waiting for that medical back again to the end of the child walking. I was a kid and there's like 50 office at around the kids neglected in the expansion there the month. Can you suggest he asked me to stand up and he was very angry as he gets, was the envy so he asked me in. I'm going to ask one more time. Are you listening to Stan and he would say my Islamic name abroad I am always, always be so. Because a lot of people really can see in their eyes.

They want me to say what he said. Because you can see what it's like they don't see what I see like I see feet onto his eyes, but that's my hot and I do possess momentary fossils feel so bad for him to be in the position and I just remember that the world Jesus had said on the cross and he was crucified. Give them photos they did not know what they are doing so was it a status of my sentence that they but the end of the he's Walt because you thus was my medical because you pregnant your given to ES you give back and Mr. child give best to ES and as a child says a child to do you can visit often and the health execution so my check is involved in this house if I can get involved and then my husband is a you citizen you citizen for thing we saw ask for the week is sent to jail we we know the embassies daughter and ask for help. I just happened that they will scald into his office and was told to bring all my items my stuff. I wasn't even given a chance to sit by to the other medicine than it is. I know so I left prison from prison. I was asked to go find a safe place because my house is no longer safe. This US Embassy is almost like outside to city so stated Embassy for mom and then that night just to be called. I lift to Don to eagerly I said, they all split full and states and immediately and I really wanted to come to assisted assorted foods. Much of the typical so yeah, I was told to skip Sudan before due to my child on everything I said no I'm not going to do that.

Like I'm not you know going to this what was called crazy. It was called still be smaller than the how to know to play well, but it just wasn't easy for me because my faith and my belief is not likely to keep my house. I would wear one and save and then tickle the way I would leave my life. The readmitted decision knowing my relationship with God is not involved anyone else. It's between me and this the thing that I'm on the town.

Teach me only to study me to tell me like the unlit anyone to put feet into hot because if he does happen. That's how this how you control you.

But fear come control was for comfort through so and and and got so don't fear that I know he wasn't afraid of the date of the enemies that no matter how they talk to think then sent out a big and strong, but I see them. Weaknesses in tatters. This is in the stead of the use fear. But I don't comply with that because none of love my life.

My fuse showed anything that is not ended hunts and got his soul. Yeah, I'm here today and you have a stated my children locked in his nine month nine years old.

My mom spoke in prison for nine years old now. Later it is seven they loved Jesus the bigger the Catholic school today. He said nothing other than old Cassandra of the chairs might want to do music when she gets her face communion. She got to get that this communion may so she want to do music ministry and she loved to sing to Friday to do month in the basketball Friday that Cub Scout. We would I flotilla on the community was a shelter as it held me with stuff like that with a lot of stuff.

Terrific job on the production and storytelling by Greg. Special thanks to Miriam for sharing her story. Her family story is shackled one-woman dramatic triumph over persecution or abuse and distant local bookstores or wherever your books. What a trial scene. This is better than anything in the movies I've seen almost visualizing what this was like for sit there and have to answer.

Are you a Muslim or Christian in America we don't do that.

George Washington wrote a letter to a synagogue in Rhode Island, assuring them religious bigotry would not be sanctioned in this country, and he wrote these words. Happily, the government of the United States which gives to bigotry no sanction persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under which protection should demean themselves as good citizens and giving up on all occasions. Their effectual support and those words are true. It's why Miriam brought her family. United States story of religious persecution and demand story of courage and triumph. Miriam Boheme story dear on our American store