In this interview, I chat with the Broads of Bourbon, Mary and Delilah who have a web show on, you guessed it – Bourbon!
You can also find them on Instagram
Q. What inspired you to create Broads of Bourbon?
A. We’ve known each other pretty much our whole lives. It made sense to have some sort of project that we could step away from our norm and create something that makes us laugh. Our day to day banter caught on camera. We originally set out to be serious reviewers, but you see how that turned out.
Q. What is the best part of doing your YouTube channel?
A. Getting to talk about whiskey while being ourselves…ourselves while a bit tipsy. Hope you like Mary’s singing voice.
Q. You look like you have a lot of fun. Tell me about a typical night out together and the shenanigans you get up too!
A. To put it in perspective. It usually involves us parading around a casino with tall boy cans of beer (in brown bag koozies) and those mini bottles of Jameson. Last time we did this we were fresh out of a hockey game and decided to sneak in to a launch party at a high profile restaurant that we weren’t invited to. We should have been though.
Q. What are you drinking during quarantine?
A. Trying to ration all of the favorites, but that’s been near impossible with the liquor stores being closed. Lately it has been a lot of Old Carter Rye, Rare Perfection 14, Smoke Wagon, Casa Azul Tequila, and whatever we can fight people for in the Costco parking lot.
Q. What is your funniest whisky related story?
A. Not necessarily the funniest, but we’ve been known to hi-jack the jukebox at bars and play Andy Gibbs. We have rebel souls, I know. Also, we once talked to Trey Zoeller of Jefferson’s Whiskey about sharks for a half an hour at a whiskey event. Usually moments, not stories. We have short attention spans.
Q. What got you into Bourbon?
A. We both used to work in the food and beverage industry for more than ten years, so we were always around reps and restaurant programs that hosted a lot of tastings. The whiskey scene was just starting to gain momentum in Las Vegas and more and more bars were carrying a selection of bottles one wouldn’t normally see. Curiosity led both of these cool cats on a whiskey adventure, and now here we are.
Q. Do you ever drink Scotch?
A. Yes. Delilah is the primary Scotch drinker, while Mary dabbles in more of the high proof ryes. We both have different scotch palates (Delilah loves peat, and Mary doesn’t), but can both agree that Macallan, Balvenie, and Glenmorangie are delicious classics.
Q. You can have 5 whisky people for dinner – who do you invite and why?
A. Like eat them? Or like over for dinner? Oh, you mean to dine! Changes our answers completely. Mark and Sherri Carter, Trey Zoeller, Eddie Russell, and Matthew McConaughey if he bathes and makes rye puns. This is what we consider the fun bunch of the whiskey world. Some of the nicest folks in the industry.
Q. What is your favourite bottle and why?
A. This is a tough one. We both obviously have our favorite whiskey preference, but some of the more unique bottles we’ve had the opportunity to try have been Very Old Carter (aged 27) and North Star Bourbon. Usually, age past a certain point doesn’t play well with us, but the 27 is an amazing feat for an American whiskey and goes down like a fine cognac. As for the North Star bottle, it was a limited release. The company is known for their scotch but decided to experiment by creating a Tennessee Bourbon (Aged 13) over in the States. It’s mellow with hints of caramel and vanilla and the bottle is one of a kind. It makes us sad that we can’t find another one.
Q. What are your favourite whisky books?
A. Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails because whiskey is still about cocktails too. Also enjoy reading American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye: A Guide to the Nation’s Favorite Spirit.
Q. When can we share a bottle!
A. Whenever you’re in Vegas, shine the Broads of Bourbon signal light on the Venetian, and wait approximately 3 minutes for a text. The codeword is: mustard seed. A man driving a pedicab wearing a T-Rex costume will pick you up in valet and bring you to a secret location.