Meet Devin Ershow | CEO & Co-Founder American Mash & Grain

We had the good fortune of connecting with Devin Ershow and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Devin, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I love whiskey. I think it is a magical spirit and the perfect blend of art and science. Whiskey has grown a lot in popularity over the last couple of decades and along with that growth the American craft whiskey movement was born. In 2010 there were less than 200 distilleries in America. Now there are nearly 3000 and at least one whiskey distillery in every state. American whiskey is more diverse now than maybe ever before and the idea of what American whiskey is and can be is evolving. We started American Mash & Grain to help elevate the profile of the American craft whiskey movement and to help tell the stories of these incredible small businesses that are changing the future of my favorite spirit.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
American Mash & Grain operates as both a media/marketing company and as a blending house. On our website we feature a new craft distillery from around the country every month. We do long form articles that do a deep dive into the who, why, how and where behind some of the country’s most interesting and innovative craft whiskey producers. We just released a podcast that transforms those articles into digestible 20-30 minute narrative stories to expand our audience. On top of that we started the Borrowed Page project, where we work with distilleries that we have previously featured on our website to create a blended whiskey where we blend multiple styles of whiskey together (bourbon, rye, malt, etc.) The idea behind these blends is to create unique and distinctive whiskeys that are unlike anything else available on the market. The goal being to challenge the idea of what American blended whiskey can be and shine a light on the distilleries we partnered with by featuring their logos on the front of our label. The idea of a blended whiskey is not new, but no one is out there doing it exactly the way we are doing, and the result is excellent whiskey.

The craft whiskey community is wonderful and we wouldn’t be where we are today without the support, guidance and enthusiasm of the people we’ve gotten to meet and interview over the last several years.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When a friend comes to visit me from out of town there are a few spots I always try to hit. There are a number of wonderful craft distilleries in Colorado. Stranahan’s, Talnua, Laws and Leopold Brothers are always on my list for a tour and tasting. Arvada Tavern and Williams & Graham have some of the best cocktails in town. Old Towne Arvada in general is just such a fun place to hang out.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are a lot of people and places that helped me get to where I am today. The Irish Whiskey Museum in Dublin is where my true passion for whiskey was ignited. Wigle Whiskey in Pittsburgh gave me my first real job in the industry and Kings County Distillery in Brooklyn, NY really helped me harness my voice and propel my career. American Mash & Grain would not exist without my Co-Founder and best friend, Chase Langdon. Finally, I have to shout out our Head Writer, Meghan Swanson and our Social Media Manager, Kelci Koonce.

Website: mashngrain.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mashngrain/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-ershow-64000736/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mashngrain

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/American-Mash-and-Grain-101891168219108