Distilling Lessons from a Whiskey Research Program

Say yes to good opportunities – even if you don’t have all the pieces

I introduced myself, and when I told him that I was a chemistry pro­fessor at LCCC, Tom immediately suggested that we collaborate on a joint research project using GC-MS to study some new whiskey flavors he was experimenting with. How did he know about GC-MS? I wondered. He’s not an analytical chemist. It was apparent that Tom took time to self-educate in order to strengthen his business and support the work of his employees.

I quickly replied, “Yes, let’s establish a joint research project,” although I honestly didn’t know what we would do or how we would do it. All I knew was that we had to do it.

Every little bit counts

Working with Cleveland Whiskey would give students practical experience, relevant to local industry. It would also be easy for students to understand the applications of the research. But first we needed the equipment, space, and other operational plans for doing the work on our campus.

We would also need funding. So, we started applying for grants. (Note: Grant writing is a major component of graduate research, too.) Our first grant proposal was to the ACS Collaborative Opportunities Grants program. Winning this funding award gave us reassurance that we were doing something worthwhile, and it inspired us to forge ahead.

We proceeded by submitting two more grant pro­posals — one to the ACS Two-Year College Faculty/Stu­dent Travel Grants program, and another to the Center for Teaching Excellence at LCCC. We ended up winning those, too! Despite the fact that all of these grant awards were mod­est, collectively we were beginning to put together something substantial.

Invest in the people you work with

At a community college with 15,000 students and virtually no chemistry majors, how would I recruit students to participate in a chemistry research project and motivate them to produce results? Money! Money is a great incentive, especially for stu­dents on shoestring budgets.

Another grant opportunity met this need. This semester, every student in my group is working under a full scholarship, thanks to the NASA Community College STARS Program. Needless to say, each of the students is thrilled to work on the project.

Your current friends are your future collaborators

As a teacher, I knew my responsibility in this research effort was to teach my students how to analyze bourbon whiskey for flavor compounds. The problem was, I didn’t know how to do it myself. How would I know? I’d never done it before.

I turned to Coleen McFarland, a friend from college and a senior analytical chemist at Envantage, Inc., a premier analyti­cal testing lab. Not only did Coleen’s company have substantial expertise in the area, it was also a true pleasure to work with a trusted friend. It was a most valuable validation for why it’s important to stay close with your friends from college. They are your future collaborators, job references, sources for insider tips and opportunities, and so much more.

Build on prior knowledge to get new results

At LCCC, we now get to do research using samples of experimen­tal whiskey flavors that are not yet commercially available. Using GC-MS, we profile the distinct flavor compounds that are leached from the various woods in these uniquely flavored bourbon whis­kies. Thus, we have been able to identify and quantify the flavor compounds for each of these unprecedented bourbons. Because of the applied nature of our research, new students readily under­stand the work and begin to contribute quickly, generating practi­cal and relevant information for our industry partner, Cleveland Whiskey.

The bottom line: You never know what you can do until you try. Be open to new ideas, use the resources around you, and soon you could also accomplish something that seems impossible.