Dave also gave the highest praise to Monica Berg from Tayér + Elementary in London, UK - an award-winning bartender and creator of a digital platform call ‘Back of House’. An excellent online resource for bars and restaurants where they can find anonymous feedback from their teams or employees flagging harmful behaviour, discrimination and harassment. Dave is also humble when I ask why he’s been such a successful and leading brand ambassador for so long: “I don’t think I’m really doing anything particularly different from anyone else that’s in this role. Fortunate when the opportunity came my way and that I was able to start from scratch building the part. I was just a guy who created and operated some small bars and restaurants in Toronto with a passion for cocktails and drinks. Add the gift of gab and the ability to make a Canadian Tuxedo look great and I started my journey”. He believes the timing was right since there wasn’t really any education on the Canadian whisky category at that point and there definitely wasn’t a focus on cocktails with our national spirit. He likely wouldn’t state he started somewhat of a movement, but other big brands started following suit with newly appointed brand ambassadors and getting their distillers and blenders out for talks and seminars. Dave was nominated for and was awarded the Best International Brand Ambassador Award at the 2024 Tales of the Cocktail event in New Orleans. Since 2010, this is awarded to an international ambassador whose creative use of brand communication, combined with personality, has had the most impact on the promotion of drink brands through engaging the trade and executing compelling education and seminars. Nicolas Seguin, Director of Export Sales and New Business Venture at Corby Spirit and Wines stated: “We are immensely proud of Dave for receiving this well-deserved and prestigious recognition from industry peers. This reflects his outstanding contributions of pushing the boundaries and making a significant impact with the utmost passion, creativity, and authenticity to build meaningful connections with consumers and partners.” “This reflects his outstanding contributions of pushing boundaries and making a significant impact with the utmost passion, creativity, and authenticity to build meaningful connections with consumers and partners.”
Fogo Island
In the very next breathe said the same could be said for Chicago, New York, New Orleans, or Los Angeles. But for him the magic that takes place is on our coasts. Whether it’s Victoria Island or Newfoundland and Labrador, or more remote areas such as Whitehorse or Fogo Island - as much as they are some of the most beautiful places in the world with breathtaking scenery, it’s always the people that make it so special. South of the border it’s hard to beat the scenery and vibe in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington but two places he’s come to adore over the last several years are Detroit and Atlanta. “There’s something very special happening in both cities, first and foremost, the people are so kind, warm, and welcoming, there’s a pride that comes with living there, and I love that. Their bar and restaurant scene, and community is serious about what they’re creating, I’m always looking forward to my next trip back, to see what’s new”.
Icons of Canadian Whisky
BY JOHANNE MCINNIS
2024 has been a great year for Canadian Spirits. We are winning awards on an international stage such as Red Bank at the San Francisco World Spirits and Gibson’s 18 in the annual Whisky Magazine World Whiskies Awards. It doesn’t stop there, in edition 3 Alex Hendry interviewed Keegan McGregor, Diageo’s World Class Canada Bartender, who then went on to win the World Class Global Bartender of 2024 title in Shanghai. And finally, I will add Dave Mitton, proudly representing Canada at the annual New Orleans Tales of the Cocktail Foundation who won Best International Brand Ambassador. Like every good story, it starts at the beginning. Dave left the Maritimes in his late teens. Wanderlust led him to different parts of the globe working behind bars where he eventually landed in Toronto. He and a couple
of friends opened and operated several different bars and restaurants all with a focus on cocktails and spirits. Corby Spirits and Wine came knocking and asked if he’d take a year to help develop a Canadian whisky Brand Ambassador position for their global market. Ten years later, in a hotel room in Madrid, I found Dave in Spain answering my questions. To say he fell in love with the role he helped create is a major understatement. I asked Dave to share some of his favourite places since he’s crossed and re-crossed Canada and the USA many times over the past ten years. He immediately said that was a tough question because, well after all, Canada is home. He pointed out Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, or Vancouver if you enjoy great food, restaurants or love bars and all the wonderful things that come along with them.
Sandrae Lawrence
Where Dave has been a brand ambassador for the last decade I was curious as to who he thought were inspirations or that lead by example in the industry. He started with Dave Broom, arguably one of the world’s most knowledgeable whisky writers and author of the “World Atlas of Whisky’ amongst many other publications. Followed with Becky Paskin founder of OurWhisky Foundation, her non-profit organization dedicated to supporting, recognising and empowering women in whisky around the world. He also highly recommended we check out the brilliant Sandrae Lawrence from Cocktail Lovers, an award-winning website and podcast she runs with her husband Gary Sharpen.
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the whisky explorer magazine
the whisky explorer magazine
FALL 2024
FALL 2024
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