Someone said to me this week:

“Authentic, to me, means that my beliefs, thoughts, actions, and behavior have nothing to do with anyone else’s opinion of who I should be, and nothing do with what I think other people’s opinion of me should be.”

Amen.

Now watch the Anthony Bourdain documentary Roadrunner and see how difficult it can be to remain authentic, even for one of the most beloved “authentic” storytellers in our business. I had a rough time watching the end of that one, cringing over the decisions he made toward the end that betrayed his true character. Seeing your heroes suffer is never easy.

Authentic is a word that gets thrown around quite a bit in the wine and spirits industry, often referring to a producer who does things the old fashioned way, or in a manner that speaks to the heritage of tradition.

But think about the above quote and then think about the world that surrounds “authentic” wine and spirits. Really think about it.

What happens to the most traditional and old fashioned wine and spirits brands today? They get splattered in a billion social media posts by people who are seeking validation and affirmation from other likeminded people. They’re used as props by people who absolutely care about what everyone else thinks, which is 100% the driving factor behind their passion.

Think about all the social posturing that goes on, debating about purity or the details of production. Think about all the fake wine snobs, using authenticity as a cloak for their own ego.

For me, it’s the great irony about where we’re at in this business.

The authentic drinker is the one taking shots of Fireball and eating hot wings at the local sports bar. That person has no qualms about who he or she is, nor does that person think about the opinions of others in that moment. That person is truly happy and content.

The inauthentic drinker is constantly worried about buying the “right” product, posting photos of bottles they think increase their credibility in the minds of others, longing for the like or thumbs up. That person is constantly agonizing over what other people think about them, painstakingly working to realize the fantasy. That person is truly sad and discontent.

The further you stray from the path of true authenticity, the more miserable you become. To me, it’s heartbreakingly tragic when chasing the world’s most authentic drinking experiences becomes perhaps the least authentic thing one can do anymore. Because, in the end, it’s really just about recreating something you saw somewhere else.

Just ask Tony Bourdain.

-David Driscoll