drew pond
Drew has had a curiosity about the world of distilled spirits, whiskey especially, since watching reruns of M*A*S*H on the Hallmark Channel as teenager. Early in his twenties he became passionate about whiskey first through scotch. During one “Whiskey Friday” assembly at work, a very generous coworker gave him a small taste of Booker’s Rye. That notable taste was the lynch-pin in Drew’s shift over to American Whiskey as primary love.
Drew has been working in the specialty coffee industry for nearly a decade. There he learned to source, taste, and quality grade coffee. This developed his palate for flavors and paved the way for his appreciation of the finer flavors available across the beverage world.
Drew’s adventures in whiskey media were born from a love of content creation. He started actively producing video content on YouTube in 2020 after managing a personal Instagram account dedicated to whiskey over the last 4 years. The Entry Proof Podcast was a natural extension of the video content, and serves as a wonderful way to build relationships with and celebrate the people behind the bourbon industry.
Outside of coffee and bourbon, Drew spends time at home with his wife Alicia and our 2 kids (+1 on the way). Any other time he has will probably find him on the golf course hitting bombs and sticking wedges.
brian beyke
Brian’s enthusiasm as a whiskey connoisseur began more as enthusiasm for taste exploration in general. Over seven years ago he began his interest in specialty coffee. Initially self-taught in techniques of manual brew and espresso and being a meticulous home brewer as seen on social media and through the I Brew My Own Coffee Podcast, he has now worked in the coffee industry professionally for just over four years. This has led to numerous relationships in the coffee industry from roasters to producers to farmers and cafes regionally and around the world.
He begun to learn similar trends in the chocolate industry and in the whiskey industry while living back in his home state of Kentucky. Building partnerships with Willett distillery from helping them with their coffee bar to coffee-focused cocktails both in competition and on bar for Quills Coffee, this has developed a palate and passion for nuances in taste, brands, and the world of whiskey. With palate development as a focus, he has enjoyed the variance from product to product, barrel to barrel, and pour to pour and been fortunate enough to photograph and be a part of numerous barrel selection processes with local bourbon groups and stores alike.