Aaron: Which came first for you, hockey or whisky?
Aaron: Before WhiskyCast, you were a journalist who found stories. Both hockey and whisky have a history of wonderful journalists. Do you have favorites? Mark: Stan Fischler is one I remember reading the most as a kid. He knows the game inside out. These days, hockey journalists are mostly “talking heads” on TV. That said, The Athletic’s hockey writers cover the game as well as anyone else. Whisky-wise, it started with Dave Broom and Charlie MacLean. I’ll still read anything they write. Aaron: J.P. Wiser’s released their Hall of Fame hockey alumni series. The Great One has a brand/distillery and Chris Pronger launched one like a puny center in the neutral zone. Any others we should know about? Mark: [Retired goalie] Eddie “the Eagle” Belfour has a whisky brand, Belfour Spirits. I joked with him during an interview that he should have called a whisky “five hole,” and fortunately, he laughed.
Mark: Hockey, as a 12-year-old kid in Indianapolis when the WHA came to town with the Racers. I got my grandfather to take me to their first exhibition game against Gordie Howe and the Houston Aeros, and when I walked from the concourse into the arena and saw that huge white sheet of ice, I was hooked. Never got to play the game when I was young, though…youth hockey just wasn’t a thing in basketball-crazy Indiana. Whisky came along much later in life in 1997 when I was in Florida taking care of my grandmother’s estate. I spent evenings at Sarasota wine bar. One night they offered a special flight of single malts for $15. I took a chance to see if I could learn to like whisky, so I sat down and told the bartender “teach me what you know.” He poured four whiskies. I immediately seized on the differences between them and discovered that I liked whiskies. It’s all been downhill from there, of course. Aaron: Or down ice! Hockey season is here - a time for lofty anticipation and hope. Fall also brings whisky season. What excites you about both? Mark: I’m always excited at the start of a new season because every team dreams of winning the Stanley Cup and as you point out, there’s lofty anticipation and hope abound. Each fall I’m keen to see what whisky makers have in store for the holiday season. This year, I’m especially excited to see what Diageo has coming for their annual Special Releases. See if they can top 2023’s. Aaron: There’s always excitement over the next Gretzky or Lemieux. This year it’s Macklin Celebrini. What whisky newcomers are you excited about? Mark: Unlike hockey rookies, we get three years or so to anticipate what’s coming from a new distillery. I’m excited about upstarts like Faer Isles Distillery. They’re maturing their whisky in traditional (for the Faroe Islands) open-air warehouses that allow more interaction between the climate and the whisky. I’m also excited about new world distilleries like South Korea’s Ki One, which I recently tasted.
The Great One, and we don’t mean Gretzky BY AARON KROUSE
Mark Gillespie
When it comes to pioneers in the world of whisky information, there is truly one voice that rings out loud and clear: Mark Gillespie. Our writer Aaron Krouse interviews the man behind the long-standing podcast – WhiskyCast which is synonymous for reporting news and stories about the world’s largest to smallest distilleries, brands and the people behind them. Mark, with his wife Christina, has had his finger on the whisky industry pulse for almost 20 years. It’s no wonder the podcast is the prime spot for all whisky related news.
The inaugural 2005 episode interviewed whisky royalty: Parker Beam and Jim Swan. Mark has since interviewed countless industry people and reviewed thousands of whiskies. Fun fact: Mark Gillespie also knows hockey and sets the tone with social media post of his #hockeydram picture during whatever game he’s watching. He’s a Philadelphia Flyers fan, a veteran presence and a student of the coolest game on ice. We checked in with Mark between periods to talk about two of his favorite things.
Eddie “The Eagle” Belfour
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the whisky explorer magazine
the whisky explorer magazine
FALL 2024
FALL 2024
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