43: Mollie Lewis and Hannah Lowen of New Riff Distilling

Craft Spirits Podcast

Our latest guests on The Craft Spirits Podcast are Mollie Lewis and Hannah Lowen of New Riff Distilling in Newport, Kentucky. In June, the distillery announced that next spring, founder and CEO Ken Lewis will retire, and Mollie (Ken’s daughter), Lowen and Denny Gorman will assume leadership. Lowen, who currently serves as vice president of operations, will become CEO. Mollie, currently the sales director, will become president. And Gorman will transition from director of engineering and logistics to COO. In this episode, Mollie and Hannah discuss the leadership transition and maintaining family ownership; how Mollie’s and Hannah’s backgrounds in wine and political organizing, respectively, help them in the whiskey business; new expressions and renovations at the distillery; and much more.