Meet The Whiskey Wayfarer: A Whiskey Sommelier Bringing Guided Tastings to Dallas-Fort Worth

From a four-course pairing dinner in Fort Worth to private events across Texas, local whiskey expert Brian Edwards brings flavor, history, and hospitality to every glass. When I hosted a tasting dinner, he matched each dish with a whiskey that told its own story — and now he’s sharing that experience far and wide.

Did you know there’s such a thing as a whiskey sommelier? I didn’t either, until I met Brian Edwards: founder of The Whiskey Wayfarer and a Level III whiskey sommelier. Based in North Texas, Brian curates guided whiskey tasting experiences across Dallas–Fort Worth, offering an educational experience rooted in service and intention. As a non-drinker who gifted a tasting to my bourbon-loving husband, I can say firsthand that Brian creates a shared experience that keeps everyone engaged, whether it’s whiskey or water in your glass.

Let’s start with the basics: what is a whiskey sommelier, and how did you become one?

Historically, sommelier meant servant. As a whiskey sommelier, my work is about service, which is informed by knowledge. About nine years ago, I realized that I had a really strong passion for whiskey, so I started nerding out learning about it on my own. As I dug deeper, I discovered training programs that could take that passion further, which is how the idea for my business began to take shape.

As of December 2025, I've completed Level III training through the WHISK(E)Y Marketing School and am continuing toward their highest level of certification. The program unfolds across four distinct levels, each one deepening both technical knowledge and sensory understanding.

• Level I provides an overview of whiskey history and goes over the basic differences between whiskey types.
• Level II focuses on North American whiskeys and distillation processes.
• Level III focuses on international whiskeys and distillation processes.
• Level IV is invite-only and goes much deeper into the themes from the first three levels goes very in depth. It also provides additional training on whiskey service and requires its graduates to be able to identify whiskeys blind.

The way I see it, furthering my own knowledge leads to a better experience for my clients – not to mention more engaging conversation! In addition to my sommelier education, I’ve also earned several certifications, including:

• Certified Scotch Professional — Council of Whiskey Masters
• Executive Bourbon Steward — Stave & Thief Society
• Certification in Irish Whiskey — Edinburgh Whiskey Academy

For Charlie’s tasting dinner, I sent you a menu, and you picked whiskeys to go with each course. Can you tell us a little more about how you selected which whiskeys to pair with our meal?

I have knowledge of the different styles of whiskey and their basic flavor components, and there are two ways I might use that knowledge to formulate a pairing. The first would be with complimentary flavors — if somebody is serving something sweet, like a caramelly, chocolatey dessert, I might pair it with a bourbon that has a similar flavor profile. On the savory side, if you wanted to pair oysters on the half shell with a complimentary whiskey, you could do something like a heavy Islay or smoky, peated scotch. One of my favorite parings at Charlie’s tasting dinner was the Green Spot Whiskey with the fennel salad. The name Green Spot is so perfect for the whiskey, because it’s everything green: fresh cut grass, green fruits (kiwi, green apple), etc. Fennell is a green, fresh flavor, so that was, of course, a complimentary pairing. Alternatively, I could curate a tasting with opposing flavors — if you want to accentuate a specific savory flavor in the food, you can serve a super sweet whiskey that is diametrically opposed to highlight the savory quality of the meal.

What inspired you to start The Whiskey Wayfarer, and what do you hope to do with it in the future?

My collection was becoming very large at home. When I was about 500 bottles in, my wife suggested I find a way to monetize my passion so I could share it with others, and hosting tastings seemed like the perfect way to do that. Whenever I host a tasting, I first need to understand how much the client knows about whiskey (if anything) going into it. Tastings are just as fun with groups who have never had a drop of whiskey as they are with experts — it’s all about the service and the experience. The second thing I need to understand is, what is the clients’ pallet? Several people don’t understand what their own pallet is, so a lot of my job involves teaching. One of my goals is to be able to offer classes to my more serious tasting clients, so that they, too, can earn the same certifications that I have.

We all think in pictures and remember experiences. When you taste certain flavors, you’re going through your mental rolodex. When I tasted the Laphoiag for the first time, I was transported into my backyard, standing by my smoker, smelling brisket spices and smoke. I try to create those experiences and evoke those memories for people in my tastings — to transport them to their childhood, their wedding day, or wherever their happy place might be.

You’re invited to connect with Brian directly to inquire about his services or book a tasting of your own. Cheers!

Brian Edwards
The Whiskey Wayfarer
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