Dean Hyder.....................................................Ashley Ziomek

Dean Hyder

BY ASHLEY ZIOMEK

US Navy veteran Dean Hyder now runs Old Scotland Road Distillery with his wife.

Photo by Elliot Cramer

Dean Hyder proudly proclaims an uncommon sentiment: “Losing my job was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”

The unexpected shift presented the Akron local with the opportunity to pursue a lifelong passion: bourbon. First, Hyder and his wife attended a premier distilling school in Kentucky. When they got home, they purchased equipment to distill a single batch of bourbon and put their skills to the test.

The couple began to distill with flair; they created “handlebar whiskey,” a tribute to Hyder’s prominent mustache. Then, it was time for the big leap. “We decided to take all of our IRAs, 401Ks, and retirement money, and open a whiskey distillery,” says Hyder, a proud US Navy veteran and retired volunteer firefighter. “That’s when the second part of my life began.”

The Hyder family opened the doors to the Old Scotland Road Distillery on August 21, 2020. COVID-19 caused delays and necessitated extra precautions (on top of typical obstacles faced by new businesses), but Old Scotland Road persevered. The distillery is approaching its oneyear anniversary, for which a grand opening is scheduled. Customers are also invited to attend Friday Night Cruise Shows through the end of the month.

Hyder finds being in charge suits him. He shares, “It’s very rewarding to be able to make your own decisions.” When he’s not distilling, he enjoys camping, fishing, hunting, and building premier custom guitars.

Through experiences as a veteran, volunteer, and now small business owner, Hyder has learned a great deal. One piece of wisdom he’d like to impart? “Too much of a good thing is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” FY

Ashley Ziomek is a freelance writer living in Western New York.