Johnnie "The Scot" Mundell and Pushing Japanese Whisky

Since 2015, Mundell, with his unbridled enthusiasm and unmistakable burr, has taken on an unlikely endeavor: pushing Japanese whisky.

Living in Southern California and representing much of that region, Mundell recalls a time in the not-so-distant past when casual consumers expressed little interest in the intricacies of scotch malt. Desperate retailers were eager to bring in a Scotsman, as basic brand messaging can be surprisingly captivating when couched in a native accent.

But Mundell proved to be much more than a gimmick. “The rise of the craft cocktail community at that time was changing the way bartenders pursued education,” he says. “So I made the choice to educate bartenders on the category. I brought to life Scotland and whisky production through history, geography, and production.”