Laird's is one of the oldest distilleries on the east coast and family run since forever. In recent years, with the craft beverage book, they reinvented themselves, and repositioned themselves to benefit from it. And this next new step is a very welcomed surprise, and a great piece of news for the east coast distilling establishment.
USA TODAY!
After over 250 years of family ownership Laird & Company celebrates their first female leader
by Hilary Tetenbaum
Laird & Company has been in the alcoholic beverages industry for over 250 years, through thick and thin the family has navigated through the ups and downs of history. Throughout the centuries of ownership generation after generation has led the company. Now the 9th generation has taken leadership, with Lisa Laird Dunn taking the reins, becoming the first female leader in the company's history.
“Our family has been masters of our trade for generations, becoming the leader of such a company would be an honor for anyone. As the first female leader, it fills me with immense pride to be a role model for future generations of women both inside and outside of my family.”
Lisa Laird Dunn of Laird's
No alcoholic spirit is as tied to American history as Applejack. Popular during the Colonial Period, Applejack is a spirit made from apples and was developed by William Laird, a distiller who immigrated from Scotland to New Jersey in 1698. Due to the plentiful apples in the region, Applejack soon caught on and became popular among William’s friends and neighbors.
In the late 1700s, the family operated the Colts Neck Inn that was adjacent to the Laird distillery. The inn, which was a stopping point for stagecoaches, served the renowned Laird Applejack. Prior to the American Revolution, George Washington wrote to the Laird family, requesting their Applejack recipe. In the 1760s, Washington wrote in his diary about the production of “cyder spirits.” William’s great-grandson, Robert Laird, supplied the troops with Applejack while serving as a Revolutionary soldier under General Washington.
Just four years after the Declaration of Independence, Robert Laird recorded the first commercial transaction from the family distillery in 1780, documenting the origin of Laird & Company. Since then, Laird & Company has been the premier producer of Applejack and Apple Brandy in the US.
While Applejack’s popularity declined in the latter half of the 20th century, expert bartenders kept the tradition alive, and it is enjoying a resurgence today, both in classic cocktails and as a cooking ingredient. Laird & Company uses only select, whole, tree-ripened Virginia-grown apples of different varieties, including Gala, Winesap, Stayman, Pink Ladies, and Delicious, in its brandies.
Unlike flavored apple “brandies” available on the market, Laird’s Apple Brandy is a true brandy, made from apples and not a spirit with fruit flavoring. Also, contrary to popular belief, Applejack and Apple Brandy are not sweet, and are, in fact, closer in flavor profile to brown spirits such as Bourbon, Scotch, and Rye Whiskies, which appeal to the drinkers of these spirits.
Today, Laird & Company is headed by Lisa Laird-Dunn, the ninth-generation and first female head of the company. According to Lisa, she wanted to become a veterinarian at first, but later decided to join the family business. When she entered the company in the 1980s, she was one of the few female executives in the American alcoholic beverages industry, and she was seen as one of the trailblazers in the field. Today, there are more female executives in the industry who look up to Lisa as a mentor in the industry.
“It was strange to me, at first, as I was just doing my job,” Lisa says. “But when I step back and hear what other women are telling me, I see how I paved the way for women in our industry who had no one else to look up to. There are now hundreds of women leading the industry, which is wonderful to see. In addition, most alcoholic beverages are purchased by women. Therefore, it’s never been more important to have increased representation of women in the industry.”
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