Who was your whiskey ambassador?
I’m not talking about paid reps. I’m talking about the person who first introduced you to whiskey. You remember who that was, right? No, not the person who first poured you whiskey on a dare! That doesn’t count. I mean the first person who introduced you to whiskey, properly. The person who took the time to explain things to you. The one who slowly guided you and selected whiskeys that were appropriate to your budding palate. Do you have your ambassador in mind? I have mine.
He was my first roommate after I moved out of the house. I was in my very early 20’s and living in Brooklyn. He was about 4 years older than me then, and oddly enough still is now. Anyway, we lived in a shared 198 square foot room and were broke most of the time. For lack of funds, most of my early whiskey education happened with budget bottles. Every now and again we’d get together enough cash for a high-end whiskey. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone savor whiskey like we did on those occasions. We knew we’d probably never have that whiskey again, not because we couldn’t save up, but because there were too many other things to try if we got the chance.
Those were good times. We haven’t been roommates for a while now, but we’re still the best of friends. We’ve shared many an adventure, many a whiskey, and many great memories. And I know we have many more to go.
The point is, back then in a tiny room in Brooklyn, someone spent the time to teach me about whiskey. He was a good ambassador. It’s because of him that I grew to love and appreciate the liquid gold. I might tell you his name one day, if he doesn’t mind. He’s reading this article now. Thanks Buddy. Yeah, you know who you are. Thank you first for your time, second for your knowledge, and third for your whiskey. It meant a lot to me.
What does this article have to do with you?
If someone took the time to be your whiskey ambassador and taught you a thing or two, let them know how much that meant. I know they’ll appreciate it. And if you can, pay their kindness forward and help someone else. Ambassadors beget more ambassadors and we all benefit.
If no one has taken the time to show you the whiskey ropes, then by gosh that’s a shame. Reach out to me. Here’s my personal email: zac@whiskeysmiths.com
I’ll be happy to share some pointers and be your whiskey ambassador.
— Zac Smith