Welcome to the Whisk(e)y Warrior Award!
On the first of every month, someone is awarded the prodigious title of Whisk(e)y Warrior. A question and answer interview is conducted with the valiant warrior and then distributed to the world. What is a Whisk(e)y Warrior? Find out more by clicking here.
And now, we proudly present your Whisk(e)y Warrior.
He traversed the Bourbon Trail before it existed. He’s a firewater reviewer. A Colonel sans command. A whiskey banter Baron. He is…
Seth Brown, Whisk(e)y Warrior!
Interview
Zac: How long have you been interested in Bourbon?
Seth: I grew up in Kentucky. I lived there for my first twenty-two years. So, I was always fairly familiar with it or at least what it was and where most of it came from. My grandmother always made bourbon balls during the Christmas holiday season. And they lived on the opposite side of the state from where I grew up. Going to their house we always passed all the exits for the distilleries. Wild Turkey, Makers Mark, Heaven Hill, all of those. So, you know, I was familiar with the big players early on. And that was well before there was even a commercial wide bourbon trail. Little did I know at the time I was basically traveling the Bourbon Trail going to my grandparents. But just always being around it and in college always drank bourbon and coke. Just kind of my go-to then.
Zac: Getting off the whiskey topic for just a moment; if you could pick a song as your life’s theme song, what would it be?
Seth: I would probably say Easy by The Commodores.
Zac: That’s awesome, it’s a good song.
Seth: Yeah it is a good sound. It’s an interesting song because it’s really focused on a break-up in a relationship. But it’s the mindset of that break-up is not being concerned about it, not getting down about it. And that’s kind of the way I take life. You know life happens. There’s good. There’s bad. There’s ups and downs. It’s just taking everything in strides.
Zac: Now, from what I understand you are a Kentucky Colonel?
Seth: Yes, I am.
Zac: So, what is a Kentucky Colonel?
Seth: Well for anyone not familiar with the process you have to be nominated by another already existing Kentucky Colonel. It’s not a military related title. You think of Colonel Sanders and guys like that. Colonel Blanton from the bourbon industry. Basically, you have to in some way support the state of Kentucky, be it from products or services from that state, and return to that community some level of effort in supporting that State. An ambassador of goodwill.
Zac: How did you come in contact with Steve Akley and become associated with the ABV Network?
Seth: It started off with Hasse Berg, who I met on a whiskey related app. Gosh, it’s probably been four years ago now. We came into contact reviewing various whiskeys on that app. Hasse started a blog, The Son of Winston Churchill and recruited Aaron Cave and me to write for that. So, it was through Hasse that I met Steve. I had done a podcast in the past and I was kind of wanting to get back into it. Something bourbon related. And so, I reached back out to Steve and he was totally on board with it. That’s kind of where The Bourbon Show came to life was between Steve and myself and from that we started ABV Network. Prior to officially kicking off The Bourbon Show, we brought in Evan Haskill. That was the original incarnation of The Bourbon Show. It’s evolved since then.
Zac: What podcast are you doing currently?
Seth: The Firewater Review.
Zac: What is it that set’s the Firewater Review apart from the other shows?
Seth: I would say it’s just whiskey. We review the whiskies. Talk about whiskey experiences. It’s just nothing but whiskey banter if you want to call it that. There’s no beating around the bush, we get into it, we get the history on it, give it our stamp of approval or not, and that’s it. We try to have guests on. They’re anywhere from 15 to 30-minute shows, so they’re typically half the length of many of the other shows on the network. A very whiskey focused, quick listen.
Zac: It takes some effort to carve out the time to do a podcast. What motivates you to put in the time and create a whiskey-based show?
Seth: Just the love of whiskey in general. The appreciation of the art and the craft that goes into making it. You know overall, it’s just a good community of people for the most part. You know people seeking and wanting information. It helps that we will be able to teach somebody or give them some information that they’ve been looking for.
Zac: When you’re not doing whiskey stuff, what’s your day job?
Seth: I work for a large international non-profit organization in downtown Atlanta. My team takes care of the websites for that organization.
Zac: What advice would you give to new whiskey drinkers?
Seth: I would say try anything and everything. You know it doesn’t necessarily have to be bourbon. It could be Scotch, could be rum, could be tequila. Just find what you like and get into the different iterations of that.
Zac: What’s one of the most recent whiskey books that you’ve read?
Seth: Probably Fred Minnick’s Bourbon Curious.
Zac: If I were to visit Atlanta, what bar or restaurant would you recommend for whiskey?
Seth: There’s a couple of them. There’s one called Wrecking Bar. They have a very good selection of various types of whiskeys there, especially bourbons. Kind of a more unique experience there’s this one called Red Phone Booth. It’s actually just a couple blocks from my office in downtown Atlanta. It’s a speakeasy type environment. You have to know the phone number to get into it. Fantastic cocktails. Usually a pretty good selection of various types of whiskey there too. Both would be must visits.
Zac: Where can people connect with you on social media?
Seth: On Instagram I am @sethpbrown. I’m on twitter but rarely ever tweet. That’s also @sethpbrown if you would like to follow and not see any of my tweets.
Zac: Seth, congratulations on winning the Whisk(e)y Warrior Award. Let me extend a big thank you from the whiskey community for your contributions in writing and podcasting.
If you liked what you learned about Seth then follow him on Instagram and give The Firewater Review a listen! That’s it for today. The next award will be released on July 1st. We’ll see you then, and remember to nominate your favorite Whisk(e)y Warriors by clicking here!
— Zac Smith