The Journey Of
Breaking into the Spirits Industry
Our mission is to unearth rare & exceptional whiskey and share it with those who most appreciate it.
I hadn’t been in the restaurant industry in years, but my passion for whiskey kept calling me, to quote Morpheus, “Like a splinter in your mind driving you mad.”
It really lit a fire inside of me to do something different.
When you are at a point in life where you start questioning, “Do I want to continue the path that I’m on for the next 30 years?” It’s time to take the leap.
So I said, “Why not!, Let’s see if I can do it.”
I had been grinding day-in and day-out at my normal job for the past 10 years, making a decent living, while feeling my soul slowly being sucked out of me. Same stuff different day. I dreamed of a life outside the confines of the 9-to-5. So why not try a fun night/weekend job?
I’ve been having fun with my whiskey-enthusiast, Instagram on @thewhiskeyguy account, so breaking into the spirits industry was the logical next step.
First things first, though. I had to make friends with the local bar owners.
At the time, Chivas Mizunara was a rare commodity. I managed to pick one up at the local duty free store on one of my trips back from Japan. I offered it as a gift to a local high-end whiskey bar owner who I know would apprieciate it.
I would go back there many times, befriending the staff in the process and continuing my whiskey education.
There was another bottle I brought and secretly kept behind the bar. It’s still one of my absolute favorites to this day: The Fuji Gotemba 12-year Red Wine Cask. In my mind that one was legendary. I’ll tell the story of how I obtained that bottle another time. Taking trains all over Japan with my ex-uncle-in-law, someone who looks like a character straight out of the movie Outrage. That was quite the trip.
After a staff member happened to quit, I finally got my opportunity. I happily accepted the bar’s offer of employment and so began a very exciting and interesting time working for a whiskey bar. Little did I know that I would meet some even more amazing people there!
This long and winding path eventually led me to The Perfect Fifth. A new type of whiskey company I couldn’t say no to.
Have fun my friends, the road will not be easy and will take some time, but for me it was worth every second.
Cheers!
Jackson