Ideas and views about how to live in style may differ from one person to another but for me, and I think everyone would agree, it is all about taking nothing less than the best life could offer you. Eddie Russell subscribes to this belief and he is taking it upon himself to impart this very philosophy by talking about his drink of choice.
In a master class held at the freshly-minted Okada Manila, Russell, a celebrated master distiller dropped by the Philippines for the third stop in his Asian tour, the Road to Wild Turkey as a bourbon ambassador. His career has spanned 36 long years but this actually roots back to his father, the renowned Jimmy Russell. Interestingly, in 2014, Russell has rightfully earned a spot in the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, where he joined the ranks of a respected roster of Master Distillers, which included his father.
“For me, it’s about passing around as much education about bourbon. It’s not just talking about Wild Turkey. I talked about bourbon and why we think it’s different. That’s the way my dad always was—a bourbon ambassador. There’s so few of us.”
There’s not much that I know about bourbon but Russell, in his stay, took us into an engaging oral history of bourbon production, from its earlier days in American south, to its production process and on how it became one of America’s and the world’s favorite nectars. And now, bourbon has tremendously experienced a rebirth, gaining renewed popularity amongst the young ones—those in their twenties to thirties.
The greatest part in this crash course, was a quick treat of Wild Turkey’s offerings: Wild Turkey ’81, Wild Turkey 101, Wild Turkey Rye, and Russell’s Reserve, a ten year old blend that he co-created with his father, Jimmy.
When asked why travel to Manila to talk about bourbon and its long history with consumers, he said, “I think it’s a great market, so it’s a good opportunity for us and for me, as we develop markets. I want to meet the bartenders and give them the education. The bartenders are our first brand ambassadors. The more I can talk to the bartenders and educate them, the more people come in and say, ‘I want to try this drink’, they can say, ‘We use Wild Turkey for this’ or ‘We use bourbon because of this…’. So, that’s what it’s about for me: passing out as much education as possible.”
On the resurgence of the drink to a younger demographic, as we see bars offer bourbon, particularly Wild Turkey, he said, “I think it’s what’s growing our industry. For years and years, our drink was 95% of what was sold in a liquor store. It was an older gentleman who got a bottle and started drinking. Most of the time by himself. Even if he brought friends over.” He added, “The cocktail culture has changed that. Ten-fifteen years ago, if you walked into any bar in America, it was always white spirits with just a little of the brown stuff on each end; you had a scotch or two and you had a couple of bourbons. Now, come to America or any bar that is doing business, its brown spirits with little white spirits sitting on each end.”
The master distiller swears by classic cocktails like Manhattans, Old Fashions, and Whiskey Sours but a favorite would be the Boulevardier. For him, citrus flavors like orange and lemon go particularly well with a bourbon but nothing beats drinking it neat or on the rocks.
Talking about flavors, it is common for other alcohol brands to add flavors to their concoctions. We asked if this will also be Wild Turkey’s direction. He noted, “Big brands do that. Right now, even bourbons which traditionally didn’t do that, do that. My father came out with a honey-flavored bourbon in 1976. And then, ten years ago, everyone else started doing it. I don’t think it’s what Wild Turkey’s about. Jack Daniels has done more for Coca-Cola than anybody ever has. But that was their campaign from day one. So, for me, I’m big into the cocktail scene. I think that’s what’s growing our industry. And I always tell them, ‘I don’t need the flavor. I’ll give you a great product and I’ll let the bartenders put the flavors in.’”
In the end, true to his mission of spreading the word about finding the best, he has this to say, “Go to a bar and try different ones. You can try different ones and find out what your taste profile is. But once you find the one you like, get on the internet and see who made it. Because for me, I want something genuine. I don’t want something that’s marketed in stores. Go to your local bar and have a drink, and that way, you can have several different ones over time instead of going to a liquor store and spending a whole bunch on something you might not like.”