WHISKEY CLUBS ARE VIRTUALLY EVERYWHERE
BY BRANDON BARTLETT - SPIRIT ANIMAL
Whiskey’s popularity has been on the rise for quite a few years. In recent times, it started out with that guy at the party that knew (almost) everything there was to know about bourbon, and he felt it was his job to make sure he educated anyone within five feet that would listen. Pretty soon all of his buddies, after listening, sipping, and reading knew as much as he did. So, that’s when Hank (we’re calling him Hank) decided he’d get into rye. Just like that, he was the smartest guy in the room again!
before the “Whiskey Boom” you could find a lot of these brands easily and at a quarter of what they’re selling for now.
Well, the transition from bourbon to rye is easy and soon all of Hank’s pals had upped their rye game as well. Hank started hosting small gatherings in his backyard called “Bottle Shares.” Everyone brings a bottle and shares it with the others in attendance. Bottle Shares are a great idea because not everyone wants to spend $50, $75, or $100 on a bottle they’ve never tried and may not like. This way they get to try before they buy. Eventually, a lot of these casual groups got together on Facebook and suddenly things weren’t as casual. These clubs have founders, admins, and rules. These folks would show off their collections or “bunkers” filled with everyday bottles of Jack and Jim but also lots and lots of hard-to-find bottles and suddenly very expensive rarities and limited-edition whiskies. I say “suddenly” expensive bottles because before the “Whiskey Boom” you could find a lot of these brands easily and at a quarter of what they’re selling for now. These outrageous prices were purely due to supply and demand. There were and are plenty of bottles that everyone wanted and no one could get.
A couple of years ago a limited-edition virus called Covid was released. Covid was the opposite of the craft whiskey situation because nobody wanted it but everyone was getting it! This put an immediate halt to 95% of all those gatherings and in-person tastings that whiskey geeks had gotten used to. I say 95% because some small groups still continued to meet in backyards and driveways, seated in a beach chair and six feet apart in a circle sipping whiskey and blowing cigar smoke at each other. I’ve heard from many people that their whiskey bubble saved their sanity.
When times are good, people drink. When times are bad, people drink. They just drink differently.
Some proactive and anxious clubs started hosting virtual tastings. There were a lot of people working from home and let’s face it, not leaving the house at all. These virtual get-togethers were great for everyone! The club got to offer their members something really cool and show the benefit of being a member of that group.The members got to all virtually hang out and have something besides work, the family, and the dog to break up their week of confinement. The brand or distillery also benefits because they have a captive audience to share their brand with. Here’s how it works. The club announces that Brand X will be featured on Thursday. The first 25 people to Venmo or purchase a ticket on Eventbrite are in. A few days later they receive four to six one-ounce labeled bottles. The night of the virtual tasting everyone sets up their little bottles, tasting glasses, some water, and maybe a cracker or two and logs on. The club representative introduces the person from the distillery. It could be a sales rep, an ambassador, or if you’re lucky the Master Distiller. Everyone is led through the different whiskies and some distillery history and fun facts. Then things are usually opened up to questions for the group. This can go on for ten minutes or two hours. People obviously sign off whenever they want.
When times are good, people drink. When times are bad, people drink. They just drink differently. The pandemic turned a lot of people that had never picked up a cocktail shaker into home mixologists. Being able to YouTube a recipe and then have the ingredients delivered to your front door set a lot of people up for success. The next big outcome was virtual tastings. A lot of clubs are back to doing in-person events, but virtual tastings are now a fixture. They’re just so damn convenient. If you ever wanted to look into one of these clubs, then go for it. Most of them are very welcoming. Just go on Facebook and search “the town you live” and whiskey club or scotch club, or whatever your favorite tipple is. Cheers, and welcome to the club!
Brandon Bartlett is the Director of Spirits for a major liquor distributor and has been in the industry for 30 years.