Two Distilling Science Academy Alumni Find New Careers at Iron City Distilling Monday, April 7, 2025

When Edward Kubit found himself laid off from his corporate job, he knew it was time to start the second career he’d always dreamed of: becoming a distiller. Distilling is the process required to make certain alcohols, including gin, whiskey, rum, vodka, brandy and tequila. Having grown up in an area of Pittsburgh with ties to the Whiskey Rebellion, Kubit had been fascinated with the concept of distilled spirits since a young age, and this unexpected job loss was his chance to break into the field. Within months, Kubit had landed some work at Iron City Distilling — thanks to Point Park’s Distilling Science class.

The course is taught by Matt Strickland, Master Distiller at Iron City Distilling, author of two books on the topic, and the only American named to the Distilling Board of Examiners for the Institute of Brewing and Distilling in the United Kingdom.

“The course was fantastic,” Kubit said. “The way Matt has structured the program, it goes through every step of the process, almost the way a distillery is laid out. The only difference between the classroom and the distillery is working the equipment.”

When Kubit finished the class, he reached out to Strickland and asked if there happened to be any openings at Iron City Distilling, which primarily makes whiskey. As it turned out, there was. Kubit initially began working part-time and then was offered a full-time production spot.

Around the same time, Andrew McLaren, another Distilling Science alumnus, also reached out to his former teacher. While McLaren had initially taken the class intending to pursue it as a hobby, the class deepened his appreciation for distilling and made him want to pursue it as a career.

Both Kubit and McLaren have been employed at Iron City Distillers since the fall.

 

“They’re really enthusiastic and I knew they would be hard workers,” Strickland said of his students-turned-employees. “They were eager to come in and reminded me of when I started my career.”

Strickland’s career began in academia. He received a master’s in fermentation science from Oregon State and planned to be a winemaker. But the seasonal work didn’t suit family life, so he shifted to distilling. As it turns out, he’s got quite a knack for it.

While attending a distilling conference, McLaren got a better sense of how highly regarded Strickland is in his field. “I can’t overstate his significance in the distilling community,” McLaren said. “He’s one of the top three people in the world to learn distilling from.”

 

Kubit agrees. “He’s not only a master distiller but a passionate educator. He’s as interested in sharing his passion about distilling as he is about making whiskey.”

As much as the foundation of the class is built on the science of distilling, McLaren said one thing he learned was how much of spirit making is a blend of art and science. “One of the things Matt hammered home is that everything you do has an effect on the end spirit,” McLaren said. “Every change you make could be good or bad. There’s no definite right way that is best, there are many ways to achieve your goal.”

McLaren and Kubit both achieved their goal by starting in the right place: learning the science of distilling from a master.

“I did a lot of research looking at the class and afterwards,” McLaren said. “It was a very good value compared to other classes. By the first day, I was at ease with the purchase. I could tell this was the kind of information, the depth of information, I was looking for.”

The 2025 Distilling Science class runs from May 20 to July 25. Registration is open now.

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