StateWays Winter 2024 | Page 4

EDITOR ' S NOTE

WHISKEY DONE RIGHT

Sipping Pappy Van Winkle , Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and Blanton ’ s Gold — how better to spend Election Night 2024 ? I had to drive up from my home state of Connecticut to interview NHLC chairman Joseph Mollica in New Hampshire for this issue ’ s feature ( page 10 ), and his team suggested two dates . One was Nov . 7 for the state ’ s annual Distiller ’ s Showcase — an enormous consumer tasting with more than 600 brands — and the other was the Buffalo Trace dinner on Nov . 5 . The night of the presidential election .
Knowing it would be an evening of stress regardless of the outcome , I chose to make the trip up north . With apologies to my wife and our two-year-old daughter , I had an amazing time that Tuesday with chairman Pollica , deputy commissioner Nicole Brassard Jordan , director of marketing , merchandising and warehousing Mark Roy and the rest of the NHLC team . We dined at The Crown Tavern in downtown Manchester , pairing the best of Buffalo Trace ’ s portfolio with bacon-wrapped dates , filet mignon and bourbon bread pudding .
I don ’ t mention all this to brag — or to admit that I self-medicated my anxiety on Election Night with Pappy 12 and 15 — but to further highlight how amazing the whiskey program is in New Hampshire . Roy , in particular , is a pioneer on the east coast in single barrel picks and handling allocated whiskeys fairly and responsibly . The NHLC rare whiskey lottery system , which Roy used to conduct by picking names out of a hat , has grown into the most sophisticated and popular program of its kind in the northeast .
Roy and the rest of the spirits team never stop innovating . Recently remodeled sections in certain NHLC stores highlight the state ’ s single barrel picks with upscale décor and informational shelf talkers . Also , New Hampshire has begun conducting “ ghost drops ,” where palates of Buffalo Trace products drop at locations throughout the state , unannounced , available at SRP . As you might imagine , news of these sudden drops sends a bolt of lightning through New England whiskey social media .
Roy ’ s latest innovation is in Irish whiskey . Working with Bord Bia – The Irish Food Boar , the NHLC recently visited Ireland and selected 20 single barrels that have since shipped home . The New Hampshire population is 16 % Irish , with a famously large Irish community next door in Massachusetts . The NHLC launched these barrels at a Manhattan event I attended last month , showcasing next-level Irish whiskeys with higher proofs and bolder flavors meant to attract the American palate .
Regardless of your political beliefs , one thing we can all agree on is that New Hampshire continues to take care of its constituents with a worldclass whiskey program .
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Jess Bailes
ABC Fine Wine & Spirits , FL
Chuck Ferrar
Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits , MD
Ron Junge
Brown Derby Stores , MO
Charles Sonnenberg
Frugal MacDoogal ’ s , TN
Jason Daniels
Half Time Beverage , NY
Hal Gershman
Happy Harry ’ s Bottle Shop , ND
Ted Farrell
Haskell ’ s , MN
Ed Mulvihill
Peco ’ s , DE
Mat Dinsmore
Wilbur ’ s , CO
Chris Ciskey
Yankee Wine , CT
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4 StateWays • Winter 2024 www . stateways . com