The
Speakeasy
October 2021
Barrel proof stories straight from the
source.
The Whiskey Network Interview
Greg Swartz
Greg Swartz lives the fullest in every moment. While he is in these moments, he has an incredible talent to hear the universe directing him to each person he encounters… with purpose. A true friendship with him is for life because that’s just how it works with him.
There’s a certain charm to his demeanor, and he’s quick to put you at ease in any conversation. Speaking to him is like being with a friend that you’ve known all your life. In getting to know him, he is a geek at heart about the things that interest him. He’s like an iceberg: what is above the surface is intriguing, but there is a deep and complex structure below the surface. To be clear, there are no icebergs in his whisky, though.
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As the Director of the film “The Water of Life – a Whisky Film”, Greg and team have delivered a ravishing love letter to the lifeblood of Scotland. Within its warm embrace are the craftsmen who dedicate their lives to making this magic elixir. It’s also an overt nod to the proliferation of whisky--geekdom in our modern society. In the future, this film will be regarded as a tipping point for how the world views the island of Islay and the delectable liquid being made there. When he is done, he may well change how we view a lot of spirits.
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Best of all, Greg is a true whisk(e)y, bourbon, and scotch enthusiast. We are proud to welcome him to our family with this interview. If you haven’t yet seen the film, visit this link to purchase access to the film.
On the Streets of Philadelphia and Across the Pond
Much like other stories we hear, Greg encountered whiskey in his teenage years. However, there are some very remarkable differences than the normal things that usually happen. First, his initial experiences weren’t negative. That did happen, but much later (and it was a different spirit). Second, and most importantly, his journey flourished in Glasgow, Scotland.
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In this segment, we get our first glimpse of the deep roots that permeate his journey through life. Greg has this knack for crossing paths with the right people at the right time. Whether it’s roaming the streets of Philadelphia or sitting in one of the most famous bars in Scotland… he is exactly where he needs to be.
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MP – Welcome, Greg. It’s an honor to have you with me today. Can you tell me about your earliest memories of whiskey? Where did you get your first taste of whiskey?
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GS - Taste with an appreciation or just rampant virile teen consumption? [laughs] There was a period of my adolescence where my best friend (who is still my friend to this day) and I had our first experiences with whiskey. We were about 14 or 15 at that point and his parents were recently divorced. When his father moved out, he didn't take his liquor with him. His mother didn't drink, but she would never get rid of the bottles. She did mark the levels on the bottles, but her big mistake was that it was with pencil, not pen.
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When his mom wasn’t home, we would take a little bit out of every bottle and then mix it together in a glass or bottle the same color as the liquor. We called it “cologne” and would just walk around town and drink it. Eventually, we realized that we didn't need to change the levels, we could just keep up the levels by adding water. We did it a few times and she never knew. Thinking back, I have no recollection of what I was drinking at that time. One memory does stick out and that is Crème de Menthe because we had to use a Mountain Dew bottle to match the green color.
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My parents didn't really drink whiskey. They did drink beer, wine, and this funny drink called Dry Sack. I remember that my dad always had a bottle of Crown Royal and that is the only whiskey I recall being in the house. A few times when they were drinking it, I was allowed to taste it.
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When I was in college, a friend bought me a bottle of whiskey called Claymore Scotch and it came from Baltimore, MD. At the time, it about $5. After that, I became an exchange student in Scotland and that is when everything changed. A whole new world opened up for me at that time.
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MP - Going back to when you were walking around town and sipping your bottle of “cologne”, it wasn’t a bad experience. It is very common to hear a story along the lines of teenagers getting in the liquor cabinet and getting horribly sick. You were just sipping and feeling good.
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GS – Yes, correct. I did have a bad experience in senior year of high school with rum and it put me off it for good. Now, I'll drink it, especially aged rums, but that was a life altering incident.
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MP - My nemesis is tequila, I totally understand. So, your friend buys you this $5 bottle of Claymore Scotch… is this when whiskey went from something to drink to more of a hobby and you wanting to learn more about it? Was the liquid in the bottle that good?!
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GS – No, not quite. That came along was when was an exchange student. I was 19, got on an airplane in Newark, NJ where I wasn't legally allowed to drink alcohol, and I got off an airplane in London where I was legally of age. I embraced that with vigor. In fairness, most of what I drank while I was in Scotland was Guinness.
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I went over there with a friend of mine, Joe Vulopas (still a very good friend of mine), and we were exchange students together. We met a guy at the college in Glasgow and neither one of us remembers his name. We never hung out with him, but we did talk to him one day. He said if we wanted to drink some good whiskey, we needed to visit a place called the Bon Accord. At the time we were on campus, and all they had were low end blends.
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My first serious moment with whiskey was in what is arguably the world’s best whiskey bar. You know, I think they've won the best whiskey bar in the world five times. The funny thing is the guy who owns it now, Paul McDonagh, was not the owner at that time. We shot part of the film there, and when I met him, I told him that I was there before him. Of course, it’s changed since then. Back when I was there, it was a book of laminated pages. They now have an iPad to order from because their whiskey list is so huge (around 380 malt whiskies).
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MP - That sets you on the path. Where did you go from there?
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GS – That immediately led to two things. First, there was a store in Glasgow at the time that specialized in selling whisky miniatures. The business model was an interesting concept, but the store didn’t last. I went there and I bought 30 different miniatures to try. Half of the impetus to purchase was based on a cool label. At the time, I didn't know what I was doing. I wasn't trying to like create a cross section of different whiskeys and this was the 1990’s, so people weren't really that careful to begin with. It just wasn’t as culturally pervasive as it is now.
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The second thing is that when I flew back out of the Glasgow airport, I went to the duty--free store and bought myself a bottle of The Glenlivet 12--year--old. That was my first single malt bottle that I owned, and I put it on the refrigerator. I was going to keep it for a special occasion. Eventually, I shared it with four friends during a poker night about a year later. When I finally turned 21, I was living in Pennsylvania and there is a very strong beer culture. So, I drank beer more than whiskey. I usually kept a bottle around and remained interested in it.
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I know most Americans probably get into bourbon first and then branch out to Scotch next. Whereas for me, it started with Scotch.
Whiskey, Whisky, and All Roads Leading to Islay
It all started with a bottle that you would expect someone to pick up as a novice. From there, it progressed to the most controversial flavor profile in the business: peat. Greg was hooked from the start, and he still maintains an interest in many different flavor profiles.
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On his journey, the nexus of his geek--level knowledge is rooted in the products of Islay. Brands like Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Bowmore, and Bruichladdich are ones that he’s been working on understanding for quite some time. It’s not a journey that every enthusiast makes, but he’s made it across that chasm. The island of Islay was destined to be the ideal backdrop for the story that became the film.
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MP – What are the flavors that you gravitate towards?
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GS - Because The Glenlivet was the first whisky that took hold for me, I was interested in the classic Speyside style. It is the honey and butterscotch notes. I'm fond of saying that people may not remember their first whisky, but anyone who's ever had it remembers the first Laphroaig. I'd never had it when I lived in Scotland. On my 30th birthday, a friend bought me a bottle of Laphroaig and I fell in love with it immediately. I know it's a very divisive whisky and, to their credit, they embrace that.
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I love smoked food like cheese and meat. At the time, I immediately took to smoky whiskies and that completely redirected me. Don’t get me wrong, I like all kinds of whisky. Though, as an example, I have five bottles next to me: three are peated and two are not.
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MP - It seems to me that people who started on the Scotch side may not have a problem transitioning into the peated flavors. There is a delicate balance where you can have something with honey, vanilla, and butterscotch… but then it has this umami quality. Not everybody embraces that. Often, when people come from the bourbon side, start dabbling in Scotch but they don’t want to have anything to do with peated whiskies. People are doing themselves a disservice by not trying it.
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This brings up an interesting question. Can you tell me about how your tastes evolved over time?
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GS - They've deepened. To be honest, I don't think there are any whiskies, especially Scotch whiskies, that I don't like.
I will say this, I’m game for anything, but some things are situational. For example, I like rye, but I must be in the mood for it. There are certain times I just wouldn’t want one. Also, I love Octomore, but I'm probably not going to drink it when it's 100 degrees outside. There's just something about it. It's just too big and I'd rather have a lighter, ex--bourbon cask whiskey or something like that.
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It's funny, the two most divisive brands of Scotch are Laphroaig and Ardbeg, and I'm a huge fan of both. They are big and growing, so I don't think that reputation is a problem for either one of them. These brands are not just the smoke, and there are a lot of differences between Port Charlotte, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and Ardbeg. That gets lost in their reputation and people say “UGH” at the thought of tasting them. In fact, I have an Ardbeg next to me right now.
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MP - Those are two polarizing brands, and most people don't distinguish between them. However, there is a lot of subtlety, and there's a lot of exploration that you need to do there to get to know them. There are some people that get it right out of the gate. For me, it took a bit of exploration and understanding to get there.
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Let's talk about bourbon. What are your favorite kinds of bourbon, or what are your favorite bottles of bourbon?
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GS - I know a fair amount about bourbon, but what I don't know (and I'm kind of proud of this) is if should be embarrassed about what I like. That being said, I like Eagle Rare and I always have a bottle around. Yesterday, I just got a bottle of Frey Ranch, but I haven't even opened it yet. Also, the 1792 WBSE pick is phenomenal.
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There is a small distillery in eastern Pennsylvania called Eight Oaks Farm Distillery which is doing some interesting stuff. My brother--in--law lives a couple miles away from it and got me a bottle for Christmas. I liked it and he got me another bottle, so I'm building a collection of those. Now and again, I like Belle Meade if I’m making an Old Fashioned. Finally, there is Roknar in Minnesota, and they have a nice rye.
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MP – With bourbon, the hallmarks are honey and vanilla. Some can be sweet, and some can have a savory quality (like Eagle Rare). As a quick aside, there is an admin the WBSE community, Kris Bro, who is well known for disliking Eagle Rare. She calls it dirty pool water. Recently, she tasted a local store pick, and she enjoyed it. It was a great moment in the group.
My point is, when it comes to store picks, you need to know who is choosing and understand if your tastes align with theirs. If they go for something different than the normal flavor profile, you better like that funk. To that point, I think Chad and Bill do a great job with the picks.
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Since you mentioned it, are you into cocktails?
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GS - For me, it is almost always straight up. My wife makes cocktails, and I'll drink a gin and tonic or a margarita. She's been making some margaritas with mezcal lately that I'm a fan of that, but beyond that I just don't. It's not that I'm not interested, I'm just too lazy. It can be a lot of work.
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MP - There's a very deep end of the pool that you can get into with cocktails, that's a completely different situation. Things take on a whole other flavor profile when you start mixing in things like vermouth and things like that. It just goes in a completely different direction.
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GS - I have a funny anecdote about that.
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One of the members of our team, a Co--Producer, is a guy named Tom Costello. He's a great guy and a master mixologist. He's very passionate about it, and my wife is into gin and tonic, so I wanted to make her a very special one for Mother's Day. I asked him to help me out because I thought it be a nice surprise. He started sending me these text messages about barrier filters, muddling watermelon through them, and all this other complex stuff. I just thought you were going to say discuss lemon instead of a lime. I don't own any barrier filters, and I probably will not any time soon.
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MP – For me, if it gets much more complex than taking the top off the bottle and pouring it in a glass, then I’m out. I guess I'm a simpleton for wanting to drink it like that.
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GS – Most of the time, the only thing I add to whiskey is a drop of water.
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MP - Thinking about all the exploration and tasting you’ve done; you have likely had the privilege to taste some interesting things. Tell me about the most extraordinary whiskey that you've ever tasted. I'm very curious about this.
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GS - Objectively or subjectively? Objectively, I was able to taste the 75--year--old Mortlach that Gordon & MacPhail released. At the time, it was the world record holder for the oldest whisky ever released. It wasn't my favorite, but it was interesting.
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Quite possibly, my personal favorite that I enjoyed was Bruichladdich Black Art 4. That is, for a released whisky. I have not had all the Black Art expressions, but of the ones I've had, that's my favorite. It’s very popular among Bruichladdich fans and would likely win a vote for the best.
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Here is an inside tip about something in the film, there are a couple of shots near the end where Jim McEwan and Adam Hannett are pulling cask samples. I drank some of those cask samples and those were extraordinary whiskies that don't even have a name. They are a 28--year--old Bruichladdich product that was in one cask for 26--28 years then re-r-acked for the last 2. A part of that is the experience of standing in the warehouse with Jim McEwan and Adam Hannett. I'm not going to lie; it was pretty exciting.
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MP - What makes those stand out above the others in your memory?
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GS - The structure of the whisky. They have these layers of flavors, and they have this way of sitting with each other. It's just astounding. There's something about this whisky… when I drink a dram of it I dream about it that night.
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There's a lot of talk about Jim all the time, which is well deserved. He's funny, a great storyteller, charismatic, and he's the “whisky prophet”. The thing that people don't talk about is what an unbelievably gifted whisky maker he is.
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MP - You and I have had private conversations about the idea of craftsmanship that spans multiple generations. Jim had a tremendous impact on the industry, and one of those things was the idea of passing down of knowledge and insights. When you talk about Jim McEwan and Adam Hannett, the true impact of what Adam is doing is not going to be felt for a while. He is definitely coming into his own, but there may be a bit of Jim written on it.
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GS – This is true. Most of the Octomore that they've been released lately are five years old and therefore they were probably distilled with Jim. Now, the newer ones are 100% distilled by Adam, but not all of them because they do have a 10--year--old every year or two.
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Bruichladdich has matured a little bit in that they don't release 55 whiskeys a year and experiments don't get released. Their supply chain is in a good place, and they have realized they are a global brand. They have expanded to China… how are you going to release 55 whiskies a year there? It's hard enough to do at the distillery, let alone halfway around the world.
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MP - They've done a hell of a job of creating a cult following, and they don't seem to have a problem selling their product at the distillery or across their global footprint. Adam is at the beginning of his journey and there are certainly parallels to the road Jim was on. We shall see what Adam does in the rest of his career.
Whisky Stories: A Cask with No Name and the Boggy Dale
Great stories are borne from the magic in whisky. There is just something about standing among the giants of this industry and tasting something that doesn’t even have a name. It’s these types of unique experiences that make for the best stories.
The film is a product of a team made up of great friends who happen to all love whisky. A moment like this would have never happened if it weren’t for that.
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MP – You talked about sharing that bottle of The Glenlivet 12 with friends over a poker game, or a $5 bottle of cheap scotch that someone gave you as a gift… there are these shared experiences that the Whiskey Network believes are the core of the whiskey experience.
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If I recall correctly, there's a part in the film where you're talking to different people in the whisky industry, and there's one that has this great line saying whisky has this magical quality. It just relates well to creating stories and experiences.
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Can you share with us any stories connected to whisky? It doesn’t have to be from the film, it can be a personal experience.
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GS – There are certainly plenty from the shoot and those would definitely be the most heightened ones. We were shooting at GlenAllachie, and we were moving from the stillhouse to a warehouse. It was an hour to move everything between breaking the gear down, moving it, and setting it up again. I was talking to someone, and the warehouse door was about 50 yards away, and it slides open. Trevor Jones, our producer, sticks his head out and he says to me, “Greg, I need you.”
He gives me this look and I’m thinking “Oh my God, what happened?!” Did someone knock over a barrel or a light, get mad, or who the hell knows! I ran across the parking lot into the warehouse and asked what happened. Trevor says to me, “You need to try this whisky.” and it was some experiment that Billy Walker was working on that had no name. It was directly from the cask, and it was just this unbelievable whisky. This was an unpeated whisky, but now it's being aged in a cast that had held peated whisky, so there was just a kiss of smoke on it. It was such a great moment where I was drinking this unique whisky with Billy Walker standing right there.
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MP – That is an incredible story.
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GS – I have another one, if I can tell it. All the cliff scenes that you see in the movie were done of the first day of shooting with Jim. He told us that he was going to take us to a special place and that it was only a few hundred yards off the road. It was miles off the road through this boggy dale, and all through the hills. Our sound mixer got stuck in mud up to his knee. It was quite a journey, but it was worth it. The views were absolutely stunning, and it led to some of the best drams I've ever had.
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You know, it’s not always about the brand or the quality of the whisky. It’s the company you share in those times that means more. The night we launched the film in January (2021), our whole team got together and had a virtual meeting afterwards. It was amazing and I'll be honest with you: I don't remember what whisky I was drinking. I made this film with my friends and enjoying the feeling of a job well done with them is great. Being virtual was not quite the same, but it was still great.
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MP - That's the type of story I love. It really exemplifies a story with whisky and friends.
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The film is a great testament to the friendships you have with The Fonz (Alfonse Palaima), Trevor Jones, and the rest of the crew. I must pay a tremendous compliment to all of you – it shows through in every second of the film.
The Crew: Destiny, Friendships, and a Bit of Luck
In the moment, Greg is tuned into the universe. It’s not something he acknowledges, but it’s happening. It’s been happening all his life. You don’t meet him on accident, there is a purpose to every path he happens to cross. This is the story of the crew that made the film.
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When he has a feeling about something or someone, there’s no stopping him. It’s going to happen as told by the universe and through him. The film crew is just a bunch of great friends that used their respective talents to make a great film. Again, we see the common theme of the deeply rooted relationships that he has cultivated over time.
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Well, you don’t get to meet someone like The Fonz (Alfonse Palaima) every day, so it’s critical to point out his presence is the extra bit of luck. Oh, and to get shit done.
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MP - How did the crew for Water of Life come together?
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GS - Trevor is my next--door neighbor, and we tend to drink on the front porch. I brought some whisky back from my 10th anniversary trip in Scotland. I told him that I wanted to make this film and started talking to him about the idea. Brad Kenyon is a friend of mine, and I wanted him to shoot it. He's also a serious whisky collector. Hiring Brad to be the Director of Photography wasn't the easiest choice, but it had to be him. His edge was that he knew as much about whisky as I do, and I needed him as a creative sounding board. I could have worked with someone in Los Angeles, but it just had to be Brad.
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Then there is Alfonse. We moved to California together from Pennsylvania years ago, and so he was easily the next person involved. I told him I wanted him to shoot a lot of the drone work, so he teamed up with his brother and bought a drone. Within a month, he was a certified drone pilot. Up until that point, he was a photographer and occasional videographer. He had never flown a drone in his life, and he just threw himself into it. His incredible talent and skill as a photographer helped him in the sky.
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Then the next hire was Leslie--Anne (Morrison), one our Producers in Scotland. I had worked with her when she lived in the US, but she had since moved back to Scotland. She became our boots on the ground. In addition to that, I hired Linda (Bicket) as a Producer in Scotland. So, we had two people in Scotland. Linda is not a professional filmmaker, she's a pediatric nurse, but she likes whisky and also knows Scotland. Her role was a non--technical one, and she helped us figure out how long it would take travel to locations, what hotels to stay in, and what restaurants to eat it. Of course, she told us the places to avoid, as well.
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MP - I'll pay you a fantastic complement via Jim McEwan. When I had the opportunity to interview him, I asked about the film. It was a great moment because, Jim was very grateful to you and your team. He said that you had made an excellent film and were great to work with.
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Jim was especially fascinated with Alfonse and the drones. The biggest memory that stood out to him were the drone shots. He mentioned Australia where you guys were up at the crack of dawn and having a dram on the beach. He told the story of the drones coming in off the water in such vivid detail and was absolutely in awe of Alfonse.
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GS - Well, we were on a hike that day and Alfonse had his big moment at the end of the hike when we got to the scenic area. During the hike, he was just walking along and talking with Jim. They were talking about drones the whole way there and Jim was hooked.
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MP - In your role as the Director of the film, you demonstrate this amazing ability to put your finger on the talent and good in people that you bring out the best in a project. This is a tremendous intangible that contributed to the success of the film so far.
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GS - Thank you. The day I hired Trevor to be a line producer on another film I was making, I didn’t even know his last name, we had a great conversation at a party. I just had a good feeling and hired him. My manager told me that I wasn’t allowed to hire people anymore, but it worked out.
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I’ll be honest: it’s a bit of luck. I’ve surrounded myself with talented people who have helped in their respective roles.
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MP – Speaking of other films you have made, where did your interest in film start?
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GS - I was a journalist and that’s what I went to school for. For six and half years, I was a reporter at a small newspaper in Pennsylvania. In the summer I was able to go to concerts six days a week for the newspaper. However, I always was obsessed with film, but the idea of going to film school was really daunting. Before digital video, film school was doubly expensive because of the cost of materials.
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My girlfriend at the time was a filmmaker and she got me a job as a Production Assistant (PA) on a commercial as side work. I completely fell in love with it and that's where I met Brad, because he was the cinematographer on that shoot. Within a year, I was moving to Los Angeles with that girlfriend, but we broke up before the move. So, I moved in with Alfonse instead. I started going to film school here at UCLA. I was working with a literacy project for inner city children and one of the other tutors there was the head of commercial production at Mattel, the toy company. He started hiring me as a PA, then as a production coordinator. He was training me in the process of filmmaking.
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I learned a lot about the production side and then I started studying with a directing teacher named Judith Weston. From there, I worked at Warner Brothers for a while and hated it. I just wanted to be on set all the time and some people find that boring.
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I’ll tell you, being on set for a whisky film is not boring!
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MP - No, I can't imagine that it is. What are the films that have inspired you? Are your favorite films ones that inspire you, or are those different?
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GS - Probably the latter. Most of my favorites aren't documentaries. I do love documentaries, and my journalism background lends itself to that. My favorite movies are “Big Lebowski” and “Raising Arizona”, they are incredible movies from the Coen brothers. Also, I have a Harold and Maude poster on my wall here, which is another favorite.
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I like films by Hal Ashby, also old Woody Allen movies. I love Werner Hertzog, both documentary and narrative, and I don't make films like him at all. I just don’t think I’m the lunatic that Werner is, and I mean that as a compliment.
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MP – All of the films and directors you mentioned seem to be touching on themes with dark comedic elements. It's not your traditional slapstick comedy with a punchline. With dark undercurrents that exist in those films, is that something that you're gravitating towards and are there projects you want to make that that mold?
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GS – Yes, 100%. Here is an example: I grew up a few miles from where Three Mile Island happened (the nuclear accident in Pennsylvania). My mom came to school and took me out and we evacuated. Years ago, I wrote a screenplay that was a comedy about the only family in town that doesn't evacuate. The dad works at the plant and he's in charge of trying to solve the problem.
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My friend James Rouse, who is a Director in London, teases me because I like to write comedies about things that are not funny. I optioned that script and then eventually sold it to Julia Roberts, but it never got made.
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MP - Wow, that's a great bit of trivia.
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GS - It's a bummer because I really loved that script, and I would have loved to direct it. I have another project that we started developing and then we optioned it to the BBC. They didn’t make it and gave it back to me. The film is about former Yugoslavia where the warring factions would take over a town and destroy all the local statues. By the end of the war, there are no statues left in the little squares of the towns, and so the EU offered them grants to replace the statues. However, they could never agree on who the statues should be dedicated to. So, they build statues of people like Bruce Lee, Rocky, Johnny Depp, Tarzan, Bob Marley, and Tupac Shakur.
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We have just not been able to get it made so far. That is where my comedy comes out, in stories like that.
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MP - I would love to see that film and that it would be an incredible comedy. There are so many layers to that that it would be a fabulous project.
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Maybe we should get a Kickstarter going for the project. Also, if there is a venture capitalist within the Whiskey Network audience who is reading this now, let’s get you in touch with Greg!
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GS - Regarding the film, it would be very fun to shoot. I'll tell you that. I spent two weeks in Bosnia, and I would love to go back.
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MP - What's next for you? You've mentioned the independent bottling film. What else do you have going on?
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GS - Well, the reason we always call this film “The Water of Life - A Whisky Film” (with the hyphen) is twofold. One was that we were told we would have a hard time distributing the film because it didn’t have “whisky” in the title. So, there was a bit of me thumbing my nose at that.
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The other reason is that our goal has always been to make a series of films about inspirational stories in the spirits world. Of course, I don't mean ghosts! Before we ever shot this film, we had identified a series of different films with a compelling story. That’s where Bruichladdich came in. There are other whisky brands in the movie, but none of the stories are as compelling as theirs. We do have a few additional identified and we are working on that.
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Regarding the independent bottling project, if you have seen the current film, there is a segment about it already in there. However, it’s not the main focus. I really feel like independent bottlers were really the creative impetus for the entire single malt revolution. People outside of Scotland don't even know that part of the story. It's a weird niche. For the life of me, no one has ever been able to give me another example like that. There is no food, beer, or wine equivalent to independent bottling in whisky.
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We have about 80% of the footage we would need to make a standalone side film that’s about an hour in duration. We have a crew who has been shooting interviews in my absence in Scotland and then whenever the world allows it, I'm going back to do a couple more. Then we’ll be off to the races!
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People always ask me if I'm if I'm interested in doing a story about bourbon and my answer is yes! However, I don't know what it is yet. I don't want to just tell a story that's been told 100 times. I want to find an angle that really speaks to me and I'm still looking for it.
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As an aside, I'm also really interested in this emerging category of American single malt. We have a compelling mezcal story to tell, also. Hopefully, we're going to go to Mexico and tell that soon.
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MP - Whisky is one of the only spirits out there that there is so ripe for geek level knowledge. Whisky geeks like to get deep into their favorites. It just seems to me like the whisky industry and the bourbon industries are very ripe for the idea of: “I'm a geek for this.”
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GS – That is one of the things that to me is interesting about Single Cask Nation is they're the only independent bottler, that I'm aware of, that releases bourbons, as well. There are independent bottlers in Scotland, Japan, the Netherlands, and Sweden. None of them release any bourbon.
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MP - That's an interesting angle. I'd love to hear more about that when you have the film finished.
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GS – I will definitely be back.
The Mashbill: Whiskey Network Wants to Know Your Recipe
It is our tradition at the Whiskey Network to ask our guests the same final 5 questions, also known as the Mashbill.
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MP - We could probably talk for an hour more. Let’s save that for part two when your next project comes out. You always have a seat at the table at the Whiskey Network and we would be happy to discuss those things and delve deeper into other things.
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There is one last segment that I do want to get to. We ask all our guests the same 5 questions to end our chat. Don't get nervous. It's not a test and not that difficult.
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Are you ready? Here is question number one: What was the last whiskey, bourbon, or Scotch that was in your glass?
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GS - Octomore 10.1
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MP - Bringing out the heavy artillery. I love it.
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GS - I'm doing a dry month and that's how I've ended it for now. That's the period at the end of the sentence.
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MP - That's an exclamation point at the end of the sentence, really.
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Second question: When you drink whisky, do you prefer to drink it out of a specific type of glass?
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GS - Usually a Glencairn or copita. I have some Norlan glasses, and sometimes use those. Truthfully, I tend to grab whatever's in the front, but it’s mostly the Glencairn because that is what I have the most of.
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MP - So it's not anything specific, it's just grabbing whatever feels right off the shelf.
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GS - I hate to admit this because it’s a deep level of geekery, but sometimes if I'm drinking a Bruichladdich, I'll get a Bruichladdich glass. If I'm drinking a Macallan, I'll get a Macallan copita glass. Sometimes, I must match the brand to the glass.
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MP – Clearly, it tastes better if the brand of the bottle matches the glass. Proven fact.
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OK, I'm especially excited about this next question and I am truly am waiting for this answer.
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Question number three: What is your Unicorn bottle?
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GS - Does a miniature count? I don't have it near me, because it’s under lock and key… but I have a 100ml sample of the Jim McEwan “Princess Diana” cask. Trevor had one too, and we shared a dram from his on my birthday back in April.
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MP - Hats off to Trevor. What a treat, that's amazing!
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GS - I think on his birthday I bought him some fish and chips.
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MP - Somehow, we know who got the better end of that deal
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Question four: I have a hypothetical question for you. I'm looking for a gift for a friend. The budget is between $50 and $75. What would you recommend?
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GS - First question I would ask is: Can it be peated or not?
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MP - Yes it can. Do you want to be friends with the person after their birthday or not?
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GS - I could change my answer tomorrow, but today it would probably be the Port Charlotte 10--year--old.
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MP – That is such a great answer.
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GS – That is probably my daily drinker, more than anything else. I have enough whiskey that my daily drinker changes, but that's pretty much my default. I have more of it at any given time than any other whisky I. I think I probably have like 8 bottles of it right now, maybe 10.
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MP - That's a lot.
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GS - Well, it you know it's cheaper if you buy it by the case and it will last me a year or so.
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MP – We are at the last question.
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Question five: Do you have a favorite toast?
GS – It is the Jim McEwan Highland Toast. That has had a special place in my heart from the day I met Jim. He used to do these things, called the Kinship Tastings after he left Bruichladdich. All six of the whiskies were independent bottlings of Islay whiskies. He would pick ones that really inspired him, and they were super premium bottlings. He invited me to come film it and that is the first thing you see in the movie.
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It just has a special place in my heart because of my relationship with Jim and having filmed it. It's funny though, every single time I've ever seen Jim do the highland toast, he tells the crowd, “This is probably the last time I'm ever going to do this”, and I'm pretty sure I have footage of him doing it 16 times.
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MP - One of the highlights of my career as a writer is the opportunity to interview Jim. It was a private conversation between us, and I asked him about the toast. He delivered a one--on--one Highland Toast with me. That will be forever etched in my mind. It’s a great piece of whisky geekery and history.
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GS – There is poster someone made that gives instructions for the words and movement. I had it printed and sent it to Jim for an autograph. I haven’t framed it yet, though.
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MP - What a priceless memento that is.
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On that note, I want to thank you, again. This has been great. Our audience will appreciate this opportunity to get to know you better.
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GS - Yes, it been fun. Thank you to the Whiskey Network staff and audience for having me. Also, thank you for the very generous support of the film. I’ll be back to talk about our next project for sure!
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When someone sets out to make a film, there is no way to predict what the outcome will be. Every filmmaker is proud of what they produce. However, the complicated part is gauging the reaction that people will have to your art. That is just the nature of art… it needs to be made with love and care and then released to the universe. If you’re lucky, the universe is giving you some help along the way.
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For Greg Swartz and his team, “The Water of Life – A Whisky Film” is a carefully crafted piece of art that was made by a group of friends who all share a passion for the same thing… The lifeblood of Scotland. The magical elixir we all know and love. Whisky!
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The film is the new high--water mark by which other films in the genre will be judged. Don’t take our word for it, check it out for yourself. Visit this link to purchase access to the film.
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Once again, the Whiskey Network is proud to welcome Greg Swartz to the family. We’ll continue to watch his career and make our members aware of his next projects.