Dave is truly thrilled and filled with gratitude to be recognized alongside such remarkable people in the industry from around the globe. Having been nominated in previous year he never expected to be called up on stage in 2024. He was slightly shocked, surprised by the attention it brought, and even though it’s been a few months it still hasn’t really set in yet. Something I’ve always admired about Dave Mitton is his passion for Canadian whisky education. He and his partner Gina Fossitt (Trade and Education Manager based in Chicago) head up education and advocacy on their brands globally. You can find them putting on small to medium scaled activations at cocktail conferences, hosting bartenders and whisky aficionados at their distillery, running educational websites, hosting talks and seminars, and much more. Their proudest accomplishment so far would be their Eh, B, and C’s of Canadian Whisky course which started off as a way of educating and training sales representatives, distributors, and retail employees during the pandemic. It originally was a 4 hour course, once a week for four weeks and has evolved into a thirteen-hour certification course version. They teamed up with Lush Life Productions to execute this and at the moment it’s the only Canadian Whisky certification course in the world, having certified over 500 students so far. I also took the opportunity to ask Dave Mitton a question I love asking people in the industry - what their favourite sound or smell is and as a kid who grew up in the country too, I loved his answer: “I grew up in the country and spent many years backpacking and experiencing so many different parts of this wonderful little planet of ours, my favourite sounds and smells are generally associated with nostalgia. Rustling leaves and grass blowing in a breeze, the sound of water, whether it’s the bubbling of a brook, waves breaking on a beach, or a rainstorm pelting against the roof, all are very soothing to me. The smell of the forest during a hike, an ocean breeze while sitting on the beach, freshly cut grass, and I’m one those people who absolutely love petrichor, the smell after a good rain is so calming for me.” We switched gears and I asked what challenges he faces in today’s game of being a brand ambassador. His passion shines bright still as he shares that it’s an exhilarating but exhausting role with little downtime. Most days start before the sun rises to catch the next flight, importers and distributors that need you to educate/engage bartenders or consumers, pivoting to working with marketing, brand and the sales teams – all within the 9am to 5pm window. Once the sun sets, the second part of the workday begins,
working cocktail and whisky events in the evening, bar pop ups and takeovers, or just simply visiting some of your favourite faces working behind bars until late into the night. Being your best, constantly on even when you are having an off day. Hence why it’s so crucial in this role to absolutely love what brand ambassadors do because it becomes a big part of who they are and how people perceive them. I also asked if he considered what his legacy might be. Again, a humble but thoughtful answer came. Dave feels like there are so many great ambassadors and spirits educators out there right now and he would likely learn something different from each and every one of them. In 2014, the brand ambassador role had been established in the spirits world for some time. Vodka, gin, agave, Scotch, Irish whiskey, and American whiskey all had educational programs but Canadian whisky didn’t. He thought it was unusual that the category didn’t have any real cocktail guides or strategies. He would like to think that he would be remembered mainly as good person who was always willing to help others in need and that I was pretty entertaining. That and the fact that he and his partner laid the foundation for education on the Canadian whisky category and brought our national spirit to the pages of cocktail menus at some of the best bars around the world. Dave’s parting words in our interview led him to share that it’s not just one brand or company that is going to change the world’s perspective on Canadian whisky. It’s going to take all of us together, raising the bar, pushing boundaries, and breaking down barriers, so every enthusiast, novice, and connoisseur can be part of this incredible community and journey that we are on. For the past 10 years he’s been shaping the future of Canadian whisky and will likely still do so for another decade. Sharing his passion, dedication and helping to continue to shape a better tomorrow reinforced by knowledge, compassion and innovation. This is why Dave Mitton is recognized as an Icon of Canadian whisky.
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the whisky explorer magazine
FALL 2024
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