Mixology Planet Tour 2012

Time to give thanks. (No, I am not too proud to suck up).

Steve Shure – Thank you for sponsoring/facilitating this trip. I have to admit: at first, you seemed a bit high strung and aloof. But, as the trip wore on and I got to know you better, I experienced your great sense of humor, generosity, and kindness. I’m glad you came with us.

Bridget Albert – What can I say about you that hasn’t already been said about Mother Teresa? You are one of the great people in our industry, one who persists and prevails on a daily basis. Without you, the academy as we know it wouldn’t exist. I can’t thank you enough for all that you do.

Brian Orlik – Although we haven’t gotten to spend as much time together as I would like, you’ve taught me a lot about how to conduct myself in this industry. If only I could be as easygoing and optimistic as you manage to be. Thank you for always answering my questions, no matter how challenging or annoying they manage be.

Mark Gruber – You are a legend in your own time. I am in awe of your knowledge, your one-liners, and your many impressive collections. Thank you for adding that special umph to our adventure.

And to all of you, thank you for your patience with us as a group.

Our first marriage proposal for the AMCA happened last night at the Glenmorangie House in Scotland. All our very best to Scott Huth and Natalia Cardenas!

Disclaimer: Take this post as you would a bland bite of food: with a grain of salt, por favor. And remember, even a Cosby-sweater wearing clown can be profound. Or not.

As our own motley group stood along the damp edges of Tarlogie Springs listening to Andy MacDonald speak, I couldn’t help but focus on the rain. Its droplets further contributed to the pristine and crucial source of Glenmorangie’s bespoke scotches, but more than that, their concentric circles are what gave me the inspiration for this post.

Throughout the course of our ambitious program, all of us (except for Uby) will endeavor to answer the following question: what’s the point of the AMCA? And, though this may seem brash, I think I found the answer as I considered the collective concentric circles.

First off, they are all essentially the same. They all have a point of origin (their center) and a path (their rippling lines). Our center? It could be our common interest in “the industry” or even the academy itself. Our path and our rippling lines? Perhaps they represent our knowledge because think about what those lines do: they overlap complementarily and they move outward, just as we hope our influence does.

On the surface of the spring, there cannot be just one set of concentric circles; a raindrop does not fall alone nor does it exist alone. And we should be no different. Our reliance upon each other is crucial. Connecting to, learning from, and growing with one another in the context of education and progression – now that’s the point of the AMCA. Or at least, that’s what it is to me.

And thus concludes what happens when one person spends too much time contemplating concentric circles.