Once Upon A Time In Birmingham... The Story Of Brum's First Whiskey

Birmingham finally has its first whisky, and it wasn’t built by a corporation, but by two proud Brummie siblings hustling out of a back garden with nothing but grit, graft and a refusal to play by the rules. In this episode, we sit down with Joanie and Tony — the duo behind the city’s first legal whisky. From growing up in a big Irish-Brummie family to grinding through street food markets, surviving the pandemic, and fighting eleven licence applications, their journey is a masterclass in independent spirit.

Small batch isn’t a marketing term here; it’s the way they breathe. Heritage grains. English barley. Local oak from Staffordshire and Tamworth. Tony, a chef of decades, treats the still like a stove: “You put good in, you get good out.” Every cut, every ferment, every decision is theirs. No shortcuts. No consultants. No pretending. This is whisky made by actual Brummies—not a brand cooked up in a boardroom miles away. We talk heritage grains, local oak, proper hospitality, and why Birmingham’s identity deserves better than chain pubs and copy-paste drink menus. This is a story about family, rebellion, and building something real for the city they love.

Birmingham makes its own whisky now — and these two made it happen. Tune in

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