F – as in Founder of St. Kilian

Who is Andreas Thümmler?

Andreas Thümmler is the founder and owner of St. Kilian Distillers. He was born in Miltenberg am Main.

https://youtu.be/7GhzizoxarA

Where does Andreas Thümmler live?

Our founder lives with his family in the picturesque Rüdenau, the village at the entrance of which our whisky distillery is also located.

What was Andreas Thümmler's professional career like?

Andreas Thümmler studied business informatics and then entered the world of technology. There, he gained experience as an investment banker and worked in M&A and company mergers in the internet, software, and IT sectors. This led him to travel all over the world, living in metropolises such as London, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Berlin, and in Italy. Most recently, his path led him back closer to his home, to Frankfurt.

How did Andreas Thümmler get into whisky?

During his university years, he had the opportunity to try a 16-year-old Lagavulin Islay Single Malt Whisky during dinner with a friend. The taste of this whisky immediately impressed him and ignited his passion for whisky. Subsequently, he developed a strong interest in this spirit and visited numerous distilleries in Scotland, Ireland, the USA, and Japan.

How did the idea for his own whisky distillery come about?

In 2008, when a textile factory at the entrance of Rüdenau became insolvent and an investor planned to build a recycling center there, Andreas Thümmler acquired the site and the buildings on it. At the end of 2011, he invited his Irish whisky friend David F. Hynes to Rüdenau. After some good whiskies, the idea arose to convert the old textile factory into Germany's largest whisky distillery. This was then put into practice in 2012 with the founding of St. Kilian Distillers GmbH.

When did whisky production begin?

On St. Patrick's Day in 2016, the first own spirit flowed through the copper pot stills in Rüdenau and was then filled into casks.

How has St. Kilian Distillery developed?

Very splendidly. St. Kilian has since developed an extensive product portfolio, ranging from the permanently available Core Range to limited Signature Editions with individual cask compositions, the Small Batch Series, the Exceptional Range, exclusive special editions, Single Malts from the Heavy Metal Series, whiskies from the Bud Spencer and Terence Hill series, and aromatic liqueurs based on New Make. The high quality of our products is reflected in over 200 gold medals at the most renowned competitions worldwide. Furthermore, we have been honored with awards such as "World-Class Distillery," "Distillery of the Year," and "Whisky of the Year" at an international top level. In addition, our innovative and experimental distillery with its passionate team is a popular attraction in the Churfranken pleasure region, drawing up to 20,000 visitors per year.

What does the future hold for St. Kilian Distillers?

Very good. According to Andreas Thümmler, the distillery is still in its early stages, but it's a lot of fun. He is convinced that St. Kilian has the potential to develop into one of the leading whisky distilleries worldwide.