Welcome to our Muse of the Month series! This series is celebrating women in the industry who are changing the conversation around whisk(e)y. From Master Distillers to Podcasters to Brand Ambassadors stay tuned as we feature the best and brightest females.
For the month of September, we are featuring Brand Manager and Entrepreneur, Amanda Horn.
Driven by creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit, Amanda is an experienced marketer and graphic designer. Currently, she is a brand manager for a premium whisky portfolio, managing a handful of rare and exclusive whiskies and liqueurs. She believes that business is best at the intersection of design and technology and is highly focused on redefining customer experiences in the wine and spirits industry. She is always inspired to create occasions and reasons to gather friends over a good meal, cocktails and pairings. After all, the best dinner parties are impromptu and take place in a messy kitchen. You can almost always find her with her camera in hand capturing moments of taste as she dances through and designs a life that she loves.
Quick Fire Questions
Early Bird or Night Owl: 5am club, baby! Early Bird
Pro-Peat or Anti-Peat: Pro-Peat – the smokier, the better.
The Best Whisk(e)y + Snack Combination/Pairing: Ripe Ontario peaches drenched in scotch (drool)
Favourite Cocktail: Manhattan. They’re timeless, elegant classic.
Favourite Drink: Caesar. When you run out of plates, use endless skewers.
Never Have I Ever:Never have I ever … been good at this game.
Drinking Song of Choice: Aged and Mellow – Catherine Russel
What mantra do you live by/drink by: Il dolce far niente – the sweetness of doing nothing.
1)Describe yourself in the form of a Haiku.
2) Tell us about your first (memorable) experience with whisk(e)y?
The thing I love about whisk(e)y is that it’s best shared. I’d have to say, my most memorable experience was hosting a Smoked Cocktail party with the bartenders from @spiritswithsmoke at my apartment. I love playing hostess and introducing friends to new spirits and cocktail experiences. That truly was the night of endless, smoked old fashioneds.
3) What personal rules do you abide by that have lead you to success?
I fully believe in leaving a piece of myself in all of my work. I am stubborn and passionate #suchataurus so if something is not a “f*** yes!” for me, it’s a “no!”
4) What has been your biggest ‘aha’ moment to date?
My ‘aha’ moment in the industry was when I was touring with a renowned winemaker across Canada having planned chef-driven dining experiences. I knew that the right industry had found me so I decided to take the wine business seriously and started my WSET certifications, and a series of ‘aha’ moments ensued. I realized that I could leverage my background in marketing & graphic design and apply a technology lens to the industry to create incredible consumer experiences.
5) In your opinion, what makes the perfect whisk(e)y?
To me, it’s a combination of all of the senses. A deep molasses colour that sings of an aged spirit mellowed from time in barrel. Full bodied, with legs for days.
6) What’s the latest trend you’re excited about the industry at the moment?
The adoption of technology by our industry is leading to some great opportunities to create personalized, educational and interactive experiences for consumers at any stage of their wine / spirits journey.
7) What is your advice for someone who is just starting to get in to drinking whisk(e)y?
Be open! Smell everything. Taste everything and don’t worry about being a snob. Immerse yourself allowing it be a social, sensual and perhaps even an emotional experience.
8) What are you doing to ensure you’re continuing to grow and develop your palate?
Mindful eating and cooking! I try to note the changes in smells and taste of ingredients at different stages of the cooking process. This help me identify the difference between fresh, cooked, dried or stewed aromas which can reveal key characteristics in the tasting of wines and spirits.
9) Tell us about your new business!
N’Occasion Cards was the product of my doodling addiction, love for drinks and surprising and delighting friends with snail mail. I think we too often overlook small wins that deserve more attention, so creating a product dedicated to encouraging people to stop and celebrate the small things in life made me really happy and excited. As adults, we all appreciate mail that is not a bill.
10) Where can people order your cards and which are your favourite?
Check out @noccasioncards on Instagram and get your pen pal on! I sell through Etsy for the time being and my favourites have to be the originals:
“I like my men like my whisky – aged and mellow”
“Darling, you’re such a manhattan – timeless, elegant and classic”
“Call me old fashioned, I’ll take snail mail and a pen pal any day“
11) What’s next for you?
A podcast, perhaps. Stay tuned 🙂
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