The Fred Minnick Show podcast is pausing this week to put a spotlight on an even more important conversation. Minnick is encouraging his listeners to visit https://youtu.be/-fuH8aSQVhw for the Du Nord Benefit: For the Love of Whiskey, Race, Progress and Diversity, an empowering discussion on diversity with a panel of spirits industry leaders who share a vision of hope and desire for positive change.
Organized and moderated by Minnick, the June 1 panel conversation was also created to draw attention to the Du Nord Riot Recovery Fund, a GoFundMe created by Chris & Shanelle Montana of Du Nord Craft Spirits in Minneapolis to support “black and brown companies affected by the riots.” The Montanas’ distillery was lost in the Minneapolis civil unrest. Learn more and support the cause here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/minnesota-poc-business-support
For the Love of Whiskey, Race, Progress and Diversity panelists include: Chris Montana (master distiller and owner, Du Nord Craft Spirits), Fawn Weaver (New York Times Bestselling Author and CEO, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey), Freddie Johnson (Chief Tour Guide, Buffalo Trace / Kentucky Bourbon Hall Of Famer), Melvin Keebler (VP and AGM, Jack Daniel Distillery), Clay Risen (Deputy Op-Ed Editor, New York Times), Dr. Michael Torrence (President, Motlow College) and Tracie Franklin (Glenfiddich Brand Ambassador).
“When I watched the senseless murder of George Floyd, I wept,” says Minnick. “Like millions of Americans, I was angry. That’s not the United States I fought for. That’s not who we are as a people. I needed to harness that anger and use it for good. For the past decade, I’ve been a part of a movement in the distilled spirits industry to improve diversity. And while we still have a long way to go, the industry is leaps and bounds better today than it was 15 years ago. I assembled this panel because I wanted to show other industries that diversity matters and you can make it happen in your respective industry. Perhaps, if businesses make a collective effort to improve the diversity in their own workplace, we can break this awful trend of systematic violence against minorities.”
Minnick, a Wall Street Journal-bestselling author and television personality, is a renowned drinks writer who started The Fred Minnick Show in January to showcase his two passions: music and whiskey. Past guests include Mick Fleetwood, Lindsay Ell, David Byrne, Slipknot’s Clown, andHarry Shearer, among others. It features musicians and good drinks, airing every Friday.
The Fred Minnick Show is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart, YouTube, Google Podcast and TuneIn.
For more information on Fred Minnick and The Fred Minnick Show, and to sign up for his “Drinks” e-newsletter for future podcast updates, visit: www.fredminnick.com.
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About Fred Minnick and The Fred Minnick Show
The Fred Minnick Show is a weekly podcast with host Fred Minnick, a Wall Street Journal-bestselling author of seven books. Minnick interviews noted musicians of all genres and sips whiskey with them. In addition, Minnick is the editor-in-chief of Bourbon+ magazine, Senior Contributor for Forbes and the Bourbon Curator for the Apple station The Spirits Network. Minnick hosts the Amazon Prime show, Bourbon Up, and has appeared on Bravo’s Top Chef! and Discovery Channel’s Moonshiners. He co-founded the music festival Bourbon & Beyond with Danny Wimmer Presents. Learn more at:
Website: www.FredMinnick.com
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