Discovery’s Moonshiners has introduced viewers to America’s top legal and outlaw distillers, with the spin-off series Moonshiners: Master Distiller bringing onboard the fan-favorite Ashley Bryant. Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bryant, who currently resides in Pocono Lake, Pennsylvania, is a completely self-taught distiller who learned all that she knows about distilling by reading books before later studying Distilling Craft Spirits & Moonshine at the School of Hard Knocks.
After years in the business, Bryant joined Moonshiners: Master Distiller in 2021. The series sees three distillers going head-to-head in the ultimate booze-making competition. During her appearance on the “Nuts on The Line” episode, the Discovery personality impressed the judges with her hazelnut-flavored fusion, so much so that she secured the win. Reflecting on the achievement on Facebook, Bryant wrote, per RealityTidBit, “Putting myself out there and doing this crazy thing was so out of character for me. I have never wanted to be in the public eye, and I’m generally a very shy person, I hope over coming my own fears and being as brave as I could.. helps to inspire other people not to be afraid to pursue their goals.”
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But the big win wasn’t the only thing Bryant secured. During her time on Master Distiller, she also developed a special connection with the distiller Chris Uyehara. The pair first met while Uyehara, whose business is the Last Shot Distillery in Skaneateles, “was running across 8 lanes of traffic outside our hotel to get a bite to eat,” Bryant recalled. Bryant offered him a ride and the pair ended up having dinner together, something they did every night during filming. Bryant wrote on Facebook that Uyehara “has treated me like one of his own daughters ever since. Brought me into his beautiful family & distillery, let me operate everything and taught me about how to run a real distillery. He has taught me a love for bourbon and whiskey and all of the work that goes into them.”
In her time since Master Distiller, Bryant has remained active in the business. She is a recently-certified Bourbon Whiskey Steward and is also a member of the Stave and Thief Society, “the first bourbon certification program recognized by the bourbon industry and the only to be recognized by the Kentucky Distillers Association as its ‘Official Bourbon Education Course.’”
Outside of distilling, Bryant has held several other roles, including work n restaurants, the hospitality business, roofing, and stone masonry, per GossipNextDoor, which also reports that in addition to her distilling-centric Facebook page, Bryant also ahs a personal Facebook page where she goes by the name Amanda Stulec. On that page, Bryant previously shared images of her and a past partner named Jim Stulec, with the most recent images dated as being from 2013. However, it seems that the pair have since moved on, with Bryant reportedly now having a new romantic interest. According to GossipNextDoor, Bryant has an estimated net worth of at least $200,000, but that is unconfirmed.
