Female Founder Series, Wheyward Spirit's Emily Darchuk

Emily Darchuk is the Founder and CEO of Wheyward Spirit, a farm-to-flask, award-winning company that creates specialty spirits made from upcycled ingredients. Emily forged her career as a food scientist in the natural food and dairy industry before disrupting the liquor sector through ingenuity and a commitment to sustainable spirits. After many trial runs, Emily perfected the distillation process of turning whey into alcohol. Since its launch, her company has gone on to win a Double Gold Medal from the 2021 NY World Wine and Spirits Competition and a 2021 Good Food Award. 

Emily dedicated her undergraduate studies to food science and nutrition at the University of Illinois. She has a master's degree in food science from Oregon State University, and a master's in innovation and entrepreneurship from the University of Oregon. Emily has held product development and innovation positions at Coca-Cola, Whitewave Foods, Kellog's, and NASA.

In this episode…

Emily Darchuk saw a gap in the food system and decided to do something about it. After working in the natural food and dairy industry, she realized that products were going to waste. Instead of waiting around for a solution, Emily created her own through an agricultural-based spirit: Wheyward.

Wheyward is not a tequila, vodka, or gin — it's something that is innovative and can't be categorized in the traditional sense. However, this one-of-a-kind spirit can be incorporated into your favorite drink or sipped on its own, all while offering a sustainable solution. So, how did Emily get this revolutionary product off the ground? It started with being bold and unapologetic. 

On this episode of the Alexi Cashen Podcast, hear from Emily Darchuk as she shares her story of creating a specialty base spirit. Alexi and Emily discuss the "why" behind Wheyward Spirit, how the business is making a difference in the spirits industry, and Emily's advice to other entrepreneurs going after their lofty goals. Stay tuned!