Today, we are celebrating Whiskey Network achieving 4 years of age. The business of breathing life into a whiskey lifestyle magazine is quite a feat, and to think how far we’ve come is a moment of pride for us. Make no mistake, this has been a daunting journey, but we have loved every step. On the chaotic landscape of whiskey media outlets, many come and go. We are prepared to fight like hell to make sure that we celebrate many more anniversaries.
Bill Varnell has been a mentor, partner, and a great friend to me. In addition, Mindy Schwartz (our previous Editor-in-Chief) has also been there for me in so many ways. Finally, Brian Miller and Genevieve Keller are indispensable associates in the monthly operations of the magazine.
Together, we have quantified our collective vision into this mission statement: “Whiskey Network is the definitive voice for those who love the whiskey lifestyle. Our content is made for enthusiasts by those who share a mutual love for everything we cover.”
There are three pillars that support our vision: authenticity, lifestyle, and experiences.
Authenticity
Integrity and respect are guiding principles in how we connect with our audience.
Lifestyle
We connect food, cigars, cocktails, and music to the ritual of enjoying whiskey.
Experiences
We tell the best whiskey stories without pretense and celebrate all whiskey.
An important piece of this is our connection to the whiskey lifestyle. We celebrate these experiences without pretense. It’s important that we create a place where our audience can celebrate what they choose to drink and the setting in which that happens. In turn, we want our audience to know that this magazine is made with love… warts and all.
We won’t always get it right and there will be errata in some of our coverage. As I have said on many occasions, one facet that draws people to certain whiskies is to experience that rough edge. In a way, there is quite a bit of charm for both that type of whiskey and the flavor of our coverage. We will always strive to be professional and accurate, however we recognize that stuff happens. We’ll fix it as we go along.
Ultimately, we are also not looking to compete with rigid old-school whiskey publications. They have their space, we have ours. The only publication that we are in competition with is the magazine that we were last month. It’s not lost on me that this is a crowded space, and we need to be different. Fair enough, we promise to drive towards exciting and original content. All that we ask is that you keep coming back and bring some friends with you.
On my own journey, I’ve been through quite a lot. My first article appeared here in July of 2020 and was about the ghost town of Bodie, CA and discovering its connection to whiskey. In October of 2020, my first interview appeared. It was awful… I had no idea what I was doing. In fact, my first 4 interviews were rough. Then, something amazing happened: Scott Ian from Anthrax agreed to appear in the magazine.
From there, it’s been quite a journey for me. I’ve interviewed Jim McEwan (Bruichladdich/Bowmore), Neil Giraldo (Three Chord Bourbon), Rob Dietrich (Blackened), Robin Coupar (Campari), John Patterson (Tora Tora/Fevertree), Brad Thor (NYT Bestselling Author), and so many more. Each of these experiences has helped us build an amazing Whiskey Network Family across a colorful group of guests. There are many more exciting interviews coming soon!
In addition, we have made some great friends in the industry as we’ve picked up momentum. Everyone at Three Chord Bourbon (our 2023 Whiskey Maker of the Year), the Water of Life/Blacksmith and Jones crew (Greg Swartz, Alfonse Palaima, Trevor Jones, et al), the Seven Seals team, Murphy Quint at Cedar Ridge, Sam Filmus and his entire team at ImpEx Beverages, and countless other people that have been supportive of our journey. Thank you one and all!
Of course, I must take another moment to thank the key personnel at Whiskey Network who make the magic happen every month. At the top of my list are (again) Brian Miller and Genevieve Keller, as they are crucial partners to me. Next, Trinity Ables is the social media master who showcases our work to the world. Finally, the Whiskey Network Staff writers are the heart and soul of what we do. They are Bobby Bollinger, Colter Stevenson, Daniel Rundquist, Hazel Alvarado, Jay Cole, Jim Zadrozny, Joe Gulino, Murray Small, Mymy Suajico, Nate Barlow, Robert Diana, Tim McKenzie, and Vicki Higginson. Without these people, nothing happens. I’m just the lucky one who gets to watch the machine in action.
Finally, I want to thank our audience. Through the best and worst of what we do, you choose to stick with us. I’ve met so many wonderful people from being a part of this magazine and it is so rewarding to hear from everyone. We do this for you and because we love whiskey, too.
Raise a glass and offer your favorite toast to Whiskey Network turning 4! It’s been a delightful journey so far, and we have amazing momentum propelling us into the future. We’re glad that you’re here with us.
CHEERS!
Mark Pruett
Whiskey Network
Editor-In-Chief
