My Great Bourbon Safari
My journey down the bourbon rabbit hole started when I moved to DC in 2010 and stumbled onto the incredible whiskey bar Jack Rose. Under the tutelage of owner Bill Thomas and expert Harvey Fry, I came to adore the vanilla, oak and baking spice flavors of bourbon.
Since the bourbon masterclasses at Jack Rose, I’ve driven 100+ miles just to pick up a single bottle of bourbon to add to my collection.
At first, it was the thrill of finding different and rare bourbons that compelled me to drive the 100+ miles. However, as the bourbon flavors became familiar over the years, I found the most compelling thing about bourbon wasn’t the bourbon itself. It was actually the community of bourbon drinkers.
Like a secret fishing hole, you go back to the same places where you discover great bottles. One spot I found came courtesy of Gear Patrol which had a glowing review of a rare four-year-old Willett Rye whiskey, and link to the Willett website which had a map to find the closest retailer. Lucky me, the closest retailer was only 70 miles away, so I hopped into my car and started driving.
I took in my surroundings as I pulled into the parking lot. The shop was right next to a grocery store, and just around the corner was a gas station. Clean and tidy, but nondescript and a place you’d just drive by without second thought.
The place immediately became magical though, when I walked in and met Robert and Matt. Their passion for whiskey immediately came through as we chatted about what’s good, what to try, and bonded over the history of different bourbons.
I went in that day for a specific bottle, and came out with 5+ bottles and two instant friends. Even as the years went by and I moved away from DC, the friendship is just warm whenever I’m back in the area.
When I was visiting Colorado Springs, a buddy took me to a rustic restaurant that had an incredible selection of bourbons. We walked up to bar and took a seat on the cushy red polyester stools. The bartender was a big burly man with a black bushy lumberjack beard, wearing a red flannel shirt and had a gruff demeanor.
What can I help you with?” he asked as he promptly came up and pour us two glasses of water.
“well..” I said, barely able to contain my excitement “I see you have a really great selection of bourbons, what are some of your favorites?”
That moment we started talking, any and all preconceived notions on either side melted away and we instantly became friends as we chatted about bourbons. He would pour me tastes he wanted me to try, and I’d tell him what I thought, and we went back and forth for almost an hour. By the end of it, he only charged me for 2 drinks and I put the remaining cost as tip. Far from rare occurrence, I’ve encountered moments like this frequently within the generous bourbon community.
I was deeply touched when a stranger, who didn’t know me at all, send me samples of bourbons in his collection via my co-worker, simply to share things that he thought I might enjoy. One sample was in a plastic kool-aid screw-top bottle, two more in nondescript bottles. All three samples though with a yellow post-it notes with detailed notes of the label, proof, and distillery.
Another co-worker, after seeing me bring in different bottles of bourbon on Fridays to share, started bringing his half-bottles in so we could start a half-bottle club at work.
During a trip to Louisville, Kentucky, I went for BBQ at Doc Crow and I saw that they had extensive bourbon list as well. Within 5 minutes after my waiter came to take my order, it was like we were old friends as we talked about bourbon. By the end of it, we were finishing each other sentences. “I’m thinking…” I would say and then he’d go “yup completely, I got you. I’ll bring something out because I know exactly what you are looking for.” The crazy thing is, he absolutely did.
In addition to becoming cherished memories, these special moments through the years have transformed drinking bourbon from an activity into an experience. Where it’s not about the alcohol itself, but more about the doors it opens.
As fun as Fireball whiskey is at 3AM at a bar with friends, the older you get the fewer people will show up impromptu if you text that you have a bottle of Fireball. It’s different when it’s a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 23 year old bourbon. Yes, part of the draw is the hype, but is also the elegance of the drink itself as well that garnered the reputation.
The very occasion of opening a bottle of Pappy 23 guarantees a memorable moment, for better or worse. If the quality doesn’t meet the hype, you’ll remember being disappointed and have a story. If the quality meets the hype though, then you have that magic glow for the rest of the evening.
I still remember one December it was around 6PM. Work was slowing down so I pulled out a bottle of the elegant William Larue Weller bourbon as well as the burly George T. Stagg bourbon. Both titans of the bourbon world and as rare as seeing a unicorn in real life.
Seeing these bottles on the table, a friend then pulled out the Stagg. Jr bourbon and we proceeded to have a tasting party in one of the open offices. Two people turned into three, which turned five and then into seven. Time stood still for the next hour as we all just comfortably chatted, and sipped on some exquisite bourbons without a care in the world. By the time I finally left that office, I felt more human and more connected to my friends and coworkers than before.
I fell into bourbon by chance and have stayed by choice. You can’t choose when you were born, color of your skin or gender. You can’t immediately change what people might think of you because of your birthplace, skin or gender. You can however, choose your tribes and communities.
I love being able to go to a bar and then develop an instant friendship. I love sharing different bottles with friends and initiating them into my world. I also love when I take another sip of a bourbon like the William Larue Weller, and it transports me back to happy moments shared before. Bourbon has made the world a bit closer, and a bit more personal to me than it was before. For that, I will always be grateful. Not for the drinks, but for the moments and memories that emerged.
Interested in learning more about bourbon? Read my article on the hidden story of bourbon
