Last June I had the thrill of a lifetime. The NHL Draft was in Nashville and the Detroit Red Wings reached out to me to put together a ‘Nashville Experience’ for them. I immediately knew what I wanted to do. Combine two Nashville staples- whiskey and BBQ. After having difficulty securing a private room at any nearby BBQ joint, I reached out to my friends at the Nashville Barrel Company.  NBC is a highly regarded local company that has amazing bottle and barrel pick experiences. They also have a very comfortable and sharp hospitality area that easily accommodated our 25-member group. 

NBC handled the whiskey.  They have some great stuff! We arranged BBQ catering from Martin’s. AS the group arrived, they were treated to a welcome cocktail and soon the whiskey was flowing. I was quite the thrill to find myself explaining the whiskey process to Red Wing General Manager Steve Yzerman, a Hockey Hall of Famer that was my favorite player when I grew up in Detroit.  Not only is Yzerman in the HOF, but he is also a Detroit icon! “The Captain,” as he is referred has won three Stanley Cup Championships and two Olympic Gold medals.   One of the greatest NHL players of all-time.  

It was a relaxed group that included coach’s, ex-players, scouts, etc…

My contact in crafting this was an ex-player, four-time Stanley Cup Champion Kris Draper.  I first crossed paths with Kris when his daughter interned for our company. Kris is the Head of International Scouting and has recently been elevated to Assistant General Manager. 

Imagine my excitement as I watched NBC open a new barrel and watched these two Detroit legends thief a barrel for the first time.  I had a huge smile on my face as I just sat back and took in the experience, as did my guest that night, fellow Detroiter, and Sirius XM host, Buzz Brainard.

The entire night could not have gone better.  Feed the boys some delicious BBQ and teach them a little whiskey knowledge. Everyone was relaxed and enjoyed this tailored experience.  So much so that they invited me to be their guest, in their suite, the following night. This was a moment that I would be hard pressed to forget.