Greetings to all our Whiskey Network readers!
On this day, March 1st, five years ago, Whiskey Network was born. We had a vision to develop something that not only focused on whiskey, but included all of the lifestyle interests related to it. By the Summer of 2024, we had completed several upgrades to both the front and back-end of the platform. We believe that this makes the reading experience more enjoyable, while allowing us to update the publication with new and breaking stories throughout the month. If you are a subscriber, you receive The Barrel Report newsletter, which provides a summary email every Friday. It is an ongoing effort to extend our reach into the whiskey community.
The overall concept of the magazine and our commitment to the whiskey lifestyle remains intact. In addition, we are constantly working to improve the style, look, and feel of the digital magazine. These efforts have led us to exciting new territory in the realms of cigars, cocktails, gaming, and entertainment. As a result of these efforts, we have experienced tremendous growth… but we could not do this without YOU. Our readers are the most important asset we have, and we appreciate that you choose to interact with our content.
I’d like to take a moment and thank all of our editorial and technical staff for an exceptional job during this transformation. Special thanks to Mark Pruett, our Editor-In-Chief for a phenomenal job, dedication and his passion for the brand. Mark has taken the new format and molded it into a publication to rival our competition.
Next, special thanks to our newly promoted Editor, Col. Brian G. Miller! Brian writes most of our news stories, and edits the other articles, reviews, and announcements that appear on Whiskey Network. On top of all of that, Brian writes his own column called “The Bourbon Tutor” each month. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication!
Rounding out the editorial team, special thanks go out to Joe Gulino, our new Co-Editor of the weekly newsletter, “The Barrel Report.” Joe is also our resident cigar pairing specialist in the “Sips N’ Stogies feature.
Please follow our escapades on our Facebook group WBSE (Whiskey Bourbon Scotch Enthusiasts®), Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Pintrest and YouTube as we grow even bigger in the whiskey world.
I’d also like to extend my appreciation to our new Webmaster and Social Media coordinator, Larry Bell, for all his efforts in making our publication more visible. We hope you like what we have done! To date we have more than quadrupled our subscribers and continue to grow.
Finally, a huge debt of gratitude goes out to all our writers/contributors. Without whom we wouldn’t have a publication. Our writing staff has expanded exponentially over the last year and each writer is excellent in their own right. Over the last year, we have featured lots of great content, Including cocktail recipes, food recipes, cigar and whiskey reviews, along with some exciting interviews and virtual tastings.
We had a great year with celebrity interviews and new cover features. In addition to the magazine subscription, we hope you are enjoying our weekly newsletter, “The Barrel Report.” On top of all of that content, we also have our own online whiskey store “WBSE’S RICKHOUSE” (wbserickhouse.com). We personally curate and offer some exceptional whiskeys for your direct-to-consumer shopping experience. All are available with flat rate shipping to our members in all but a few states. Our goal is to become your “Online Whiskey Source!” A percentage of our proceeds are proudly donated to Tunnels to Towers.
Ultimately, I extend sincere gratitude to the extremely talented staff of writers, editors, and contributors that are the heart and soul of our operation as follows; Nate Barlow, Vicki Higginson, Colter Stevenson, Daniel Rundquist, Tim McKenzie, Bobby Bollinger, Greg Swartz, Tommy Simpson, Sunish Vengathattil and Trinity Hanson. However, I would be remiss in not offering thanks to our members, subscribers, and sponsors for your support. We do it all for you!
As we celebrate Whiskey Networks 5th anniversary, we want to remind you that you won’t find a better whiskey lifestyle publication anywhere. From the best stories, interviews, food and cocktail recipes, to the whiskey and cigar reviews. It just keeps getting better! I will leave you with a thought that has crossed my mind many times in the past year. Growth happens only with content and connection! With that in mind, we will continue to strive to bring you the best. The best is yet to come!
On behalf myself and the staff of Whiskey Network®
Cheers and Happy 5th Anniversary WHISKEY NETWORK!
BILL VARNELL
Whiskey Network President, Owner, and Publisher
