Once Upon A Time In Birmingham... The Story Of Brum's First Whiskey
About this episode
The episode features Joanie and Tony, the siblings behind Birmingham's first legal whisky, discussing their journey and the importance of local production.
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…
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