Mark Bouris on whisky and the economy

The Bird is a new single malt Australian whisky created by renowned entrepreneur and media personality Mark Bouris in collaboration with Andrew Nugent and Paul Giles of Adelaide Hills winery Bird in Hand.Mark joins us this episode for what turned into quite a wide-ranging and insightful interview, starting with his personal journey of whisky appreciation that inspired The Bird.We talk about the decision to produce the whisky in partnership with South Australia’s Fleurieu Distillery, which you may recall got a massive rap from Dave Worthington of Boutique-y Whisky in my March podcast news bulletin.Mark and I also touch on his previous involvement – and this was news to me – with a pioneering, but ill-fated beer company, 20-plus years ago now.We get his expert opinion on the nascent Australian craft spirits industry, and the challenges of selling luxury goods – which The Bird definitely is – in the current economic climate.On that note, I should mention that this interview was conducted a few weeks ago now, before the RBA’s latest interest rate rise that Mark has absolutely slammed on social media.