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How to Help Them Taste Whiskey Like a Pro

Whiskey isn’t for everyone, but it would be a shame to turn off anyone who has the potential to love and appreciate it. Here are some tips on how to help others approach whiskey with a mindset that gives them the best chance to enjoy it in their own way.

Devin Ershow Dec 10, 2023 - 15 min read

How to Help Them Taste Whiskey Like a Pro Primary Image

Photo: Jamie Bogner/Craft Spirits & Distilling

Having worked in a variety of roles for several whiskey companies over the course of my career, I have heard one phrase over and over, no matter where I work: “I’m not much of a whiskey drinker.”

Now, I firmly believe that some people will never like whiskey, as sad as that is to admit. For most people, however, there is a much better chance that they can learn to love whiskey—if they learn how to properly approach drinking it.

I love whiskey. As an industry professional and educator, my hope is to help other people love whiskey, too. That said, I don’t need everyone to love whiskey the same way that I do. My goal is to help broaden their understanding of how to access the flavors that hide behind the “burn” and to help them discover how they can love and appreciate whiskey in their own way.

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Devin Ershow is the cofounder of American Mash & Grain, a whiskey blog/blending house that endeavors to elevate the profile of the American Craft Whiskey Movement. He is also the head mixologist for Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey. He is an Executive Bourbon Steward through the Stave and Thief Society and a Level 2 Award Recipient with Distinction from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET).

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