Meet Devin Ershow | Co-Founder/CEO

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

Hi Devin, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
We wanted to get involved in the whiskey industry. Whiskey as a category of spirits is incredibly nuanced and complex with a wonderful history. In the last two decades, the American Craft Whiskey movement has been evolving the concept of what American whiskey is or can be. We started American Mash & Grain to help elevate the profile of the American Craft Whiskey movement by shining a light on the people around the country who are inspiring this change. We noticed as we scoured the internet that the vast majority of sites only offer tasting notes. If they wrote anything about the people or the distilleries it was most often just a couple of sentences with basic information. We decided that our site would focus on doing longform profiles of craft whiskey distilleries across the country, so we could do a deep dive into their personal histories, backgrounds, process/philosophies and brand marketing strategies in order to tell holistic stories of the who, why and how behind these incredible craft whiskeys.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our business is still in it’s very early stages. I’m confident and excited about where we can grow the company and brand because we have a very strong ethos. Everything we do will be in service to the American craft whiskey community at large. The more successful we become the brighter the light we can shine on others.

We are really excited to be launching the next phase of American Mash & Grain with the release of Borrowed Page American Whiskey. Borrowed Page Volume 1 is the first release in a limited release series. A partnership between American Mash & Grain and the craft whiskey distilleries we’ve featured on our site. Each volume will be different from the last, weaving the tale of a uniquely American collaboration, a blending of culture, craft, and passion that honors its makers and hopes to move the story of American Whiskey forward.

For so long American whiskey has been thought of as one thing. There are a growing number of craft producers in the U.S. that are working hard to challenge this convention and establish their own local identity of American Whiskey.

This whiskey is a blend of two different bourbons (Watershed Distillery, Spirits of French Lick), a rye whiskey (Wigle Whiskey) and a mesquite smoked single malt whiskey (Whiskey Del Bac). It is truly a one of a kind whiskey. Just over 700 bottles were produced and it is bottled at 116.88 proof (58.44% ABV).

Sourcing as a concept is not a new idea, but so much of it is hidden behind NDAs. We are opting for hyper transparency, featuring our distillery partners on the front of the label.

There are plenty of challenges ahead, but we think Borrowed Page is a great next step for us and we have a good team and a solid mission to guide us.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m still relatively new to Colorado myself. In many ways I still feel like that best friend visiting. What I will say is that every day my love for Colorado grows and grows.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are a lot of people we could and should shout out. We’ve had a lot of support from our friends, family and the larger whiskey community. First and foremost, we want to shout out our craft distillery partners who have been featured on our website. It is always an honor to be able to sit with these creators and pick their brains. It has been a humbling and fulfilling experience and an honor to be allowed to share their stories. We’d also like to shout out our amazing Head Writer, Meghan Swanson. She joined the team around a year in, and she has helped us find the voice of American Mash & Grain. Finally, our wonderful Social Media Manager, Kelci Koonce. She also joined around the one year mark, and has been a perfect addition to the team. We’re small but we support each other and it’s made American Mash & Grain all the stronger.

Website: mashngrain.com

Instagram: @mashngrain

Twitter: @mashngrain

Facebook: American Mash & Grain

Image Credits
John Murphy