The Tasting Panel magazine

and San Francisco," says Mitch, refusing to disclose which market is his favorite and telling me that's like asking a parent to pick a favorite child. "I go wherever there's a passion for Scotch whisky, but every state, and every market, has its own special thing. Seattle and San Francisco are doing their thing with cocktails and mixology, while in Vegas, it's all about the age statement." "I do appreciate those rare mornings when I wake up in my own bed," says Mitch, pictured with his precocious four-year-old, Cobi, and wife Joanne. "On those days, I'm usually getting woken up by Cobi jumping on my bed at seven o'clock. When I'm home, I try to be very much the dad—but I'm always checking my email on my BlackBerry!" Although Mitch estimates that 70 percent of his efforts are dedicated to consumer tastings and education, he's equally enthralled to work directly with the trade, and describes one staff training with around 1,000 attendees as particularly memorable. "It was awe- some," he recalls. "I felt like a rock star!" Mitch may not need screaming throngs of Glenfiddich fans to feel like a Scotch Star, but it doesn't hurt, either: "The best part of my job is when, after a consumer tasting, someone comes up to me and says, 'You've really opened my eyes to Scotch whisky. I didn't think I enjoyed scotch at all before tonight.' Then, I'll meet them again a couple of months down the line and they'll come up and tell me stories about what they've been drinking, and how they've really gotten into scotch in a big way. The fact that I can share some of my passion and knowledge with people, and educate them and get them to think about scotch in a different way— that's the best part." Mitch is photographed by Jason Goodin of Momentum Worldwide, a marketing agency that acts as his eyes and ears on the ground in various markets across his vast Western territory. "When I'm working with distributors, or going around from accounts for trainings, I'm lucky to have a great events company to help me get things taken care of." Scotsman, "but it's one of the best jobs in the world." Such is the life of a William Grant Brand Ambassador: Time is spent in hotel rooms and on airplanes, waking up in a different market each morn- ing for anything from conventions to on-premise staff education. "I've gotten used to waking up in a hotel and kind of going, 'What state am I in? What city is it? But that's what I love about my job," says Mitch, content. "There is no such thing as an average day." Born and "kind of" bred in Edinburgh, Scotland (only "kind of" because he lived in seven different countries in his youth, including Portugal, Australia, South Africa and Saudi Arabia), Mitch is the voice of Glendfiddich on the U.S. West Coast, covering markets as diverse as Alaska and Vegas. "I cover a lot of territory, from Alaska to San Diego to Colorado and Nevada 74 / the tasting panel / january/february 2012 Although Mitch is, expectedly, a proponent of Glenfiddich, it's his respect for the whisky category that's most palpable. He won't even take the bait when I ask him if there's some friendly competition between him and the representatives for other whiskies. "If people are drinking scotch, that's a good thing for all of us," he politely responds. But there is one Glenfiddich perk Mitch will own up to: When I ask whether the kilt is part of the job requirement, his response is swift and audibly relieved. "No! I see a lot of ambassadors wearing a kilt, but I feel sorry for them when they have to wear it 24/7—it gets a bit sweaty under there!" A true Scotsman, Mitch does sport a kilt, but his is a bit different from the traditional tartan getup. "My outfit consists of a kilt, black Converse, socks rolled down. It's a little more punk rock than the classic." It's a fitting response for a true scotch superstar. PHOTO: JOHN CURLEY PHOTO: KEVIN MOLONEY

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