Ryan Hartshorn

The Climb

At the University of Tasmania, Ryan Hartshorn laid down the technical base that later supported his distilling practice. That kind of training matters in spirits work: you need enough structure to handle the process, and enough curiosity to keep testing what the process can do. Since 2017, Hartshorn Distillery has placed him in the combined role of co-founder, director, and head distiller, where the demands of running a business sit alongside the mechanics of making the liquid itself. The shape of that career is defined by proximity to the work. Ryan Hartshorn is not separated from production by title; he is inside it, making decisions that affect both the company and the still. The result is a practice that depends on control, consistency, and a willingness to keep refining what the distillery stands for.

Today

At Hartshorn Distillery, the job is both managerial and practical. Ryan Hartshorn has to hold the broader picture while staying close to the day-to-day rhythm of distillation, where small choices affect the final spirit. That combination of oversight and making is central to the operation: the distillery is not only a business he helps direct, but the site of the craft he actively performs.

Signature

Ryan Hartshorn’s signature wines include Sheep Whey Unfiltered Vodka and Sheep's Whey Vodka. These are the bottles most closely tied to his name and to the idea that distinguishes Hartshorn Distillery. They reflect a method built around a single unusual base material, and they show how a distillery can make identity through process rather than ornament.

In Their Words “I'm Ryan Hartshorn. I'm the founder and creator of Hartshorn Distillery, the world's first sheep's whey vodka.” “I bought a copper still on eBay and that triggered the idea to learn distilling.” Taken together, those lines show both sides of the work: the stated claim and the practical start. A copper still bought on eBay is a modest beginning, but in this case it became the first usable tool in a larger making practice.

Recognition

Ryan Hartshorn has received World Vodka Awards — World's Best Vodka (2018). Ryan Hartshorn’s honors include World's Best Vodka and Best Varietal Vodka of Australia. Those awards place his spirits in a broader field of judgment and show that the work has been recognized beyond the distillery itself. In trade terms, they point to a product that has been measured against peers and noticed for what it does.