England 2013 - Day 1 - A Tale of Two Cities (London)
On the far west side of London, in an unassuming neighborhood, sits a building on Power Road called Chiswick Studios. In that building resides one of the most important businesses in all of boozedom. It's a whisky label we've been big fans of for years. It's a name you know and trust. It's a company we want to be doing more business with of an exclusive nature, if you catch my drift.
See this guy? You may recognize him. His name is John Glaser. He runs one of the coolest, most innovative whisky brands in the business called Compass Box. In the blending world John is a legend. He worked in the Diageo marketing department for years before striking out on his own to create his own expressions. John doesn't own a distillery and he doesn't do any distillation. John does, however, have some very nice connections within the industry that have secured him filling contracts meaning he doesn't have to purchase mature booze. He has his own stock maturing as we speak that he uses to create his own expressions like the Peat Monster and the Oak Cross. Pretty cool, right? That's what twelve years as the industry's leading pioneer can get you. Clout, baby.
We like John. And, luckily, John likes us (we think). Two years ago when my wife and I visited London John took us out for a round of drinks and some fine conversation. When John comes to the Bay Area I try to take him out for beers. He's the kind of guy you want to hangout with. He talks like John Malkovich and blends like John Walker. He's all about building unique blends that are both drinkable and affordable. He and K&L are tailor made for one another. We hit the streets of London to talk shop, eat some food, and maybe discuss a little business. I think the future looks bright for our two companies, if you know what I mean.
After a wonderful lunch with John we met with another bottler whose prices were completely out of league with what we're seeing on the American market. Apparently the Chinese market is hot for his booze. David and I didn't really know what to say except that we would be happy to sample the whiskies and get back to him with an offer. I don't think we'll be doing much offering, however.
That's pretty much it. We're off for the evening and plan to hit the bar scene shortly. Plane leaves at 11:40 tomorrow morning and I'm back in SF by 2:30. I'll be in the store Saturday if anyone wants to come by and shoot the breeze!
-David Driscoll