Q&A With Matthew Lurin, Water of Life Founder

By Kurt Maitland

Matt Lurin
(Credit: Kurt Maitland)

With this year marking the 4th Anniversary of the Water of Life Charity Event, it’s time to revisit that event and its founder, Dr. Matthew Lurin. I had a chat with Dr. Lurin about what we can expect at what has become one of the premiere events in the NYC whisk(e)y calendar.

KM: Tell us a bit about yourself?

ML: Well I am a native New Yorker, an emergency medicine doctor, a season ticket holder for the Yankees and Knicks, and a passionate whisky aficionado.

KM: Can you explain to our readers the purpose of the Water of Life Charity Event? What caused you to create it? How did you come up with the idea?

ML: The purpose of the Water of Life Charity Event is to raise money for an important cause, helping find a cure for a rare cancer, GIST, and helping those living with it until a cure is found. How do we raise these funds? Well by celebrating life and drinking some amazing whiskies!

As a veteran of whisky shows all over the US, and in Canada and the UK, I have learned what I like about different shows. A few years ago, there were 4 big shows in NYC and when one decided to leave NY my friends challenged me to create a new show to replace it. While I love throwing a great party, I do have a full-time job, and I wanted to make sure that any monies raised went to charity. My stepfather, Joe Temperley unfortunately died 2 years ago from GIST. He was from Scotland and was a major factor in the development of my Whisky Journey. I thought it would be fitting to donate the money to help in his fight and was pleased that he able to attend our first event. And loved it!

Our show is a unique format, whisky speed dating. I saw the name in a Las Vegas event, and with the permission of the host, I was able to create a slightly different version. In a nutshell, at the Water of Life 5 guests at a time sit with an ambassador and go on a 12-minute date with a brand of whisky, where they get to spend time getting intimate with a dram or 2 or 3 or more. There is an announcement when the date is ending, and guests have 3 minutes to find their way to their next date. This night of mini-masterclasses has a loyal following, and I am glad we are a part of the NY whisky landscape.

KM: After 5 events in 4 years (2017 featured the Water of Life’s first fall event – aka the WOLF), what have you found to be the hardest aspect of fundraising?

ML: Well as we approach our 5th event, the hardest part remains finding new attendees. The first year of Water of Life the brands and the guests were all friends of mine, and over the years we have more than doubled the number of brands involved, but also wish to double the number of attendees. The brands love the format and the group of attendees present, and in turn they bring out some outstanding drams that you won’t find at other local shows. Hopefully as great word of mouth spreads we will continue to grow. Thankfully, no matter how much we grow, we will never be as crowded as other shows, as we always need to have enough seats at all times for all of our guests.

KM: What can you tell us about the 2018 Water of Life Charity Event?

ML: We have a wonderful new multi-level venue, Bath House Studios. The new space offers great opportunities for additional masterclasses, VIP suites, and of course our cigar lounge. For the past few years, we have added new themes, starting with the American Whisky Trail, where guests with that ticket were able to have the majority of their dates focus on American whiskies. Last year we added the Island Getaway, where guests enjoyed many of Scotland’s wonderful Island Whiskies. This year our new focus is called Single and Loving It, and guests who select this option will have several dates where there will be single cask whiskies. And although this year’s brand list is not complete, considering that Blackadder, Douglas Laing, Duncan Taylor, Gordon & MacPhail, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Single Cask Nation, and Signatory have all attended in the past, this could be quite a fun evening.

KM: As a veteran of many a whisk(e)y festival, what do you think makes for a standout whisk(e)y event?

ML: It’s funny, obviously whisky shows are about whisky, but I find the person holding the glass is often as interesting as what is in the glass. Sharing a dram with friends is a wonderful experience, and I tried to create a format where folks never spend time elbowing each other for a hurried pour. Instead it’s a comfortable setting where you get to relax while enjoying your drams, make new friends, and taste and learn about some amazing whiskies. Add in the fact that all money raised goes to fighting a rare cancer, and I challenge anyone to find a better evening.

KM: Assuming that there will be a Fall Event this year, can you tell our readers what are the main differences between the Spring and Fall events?

ML: Our Spring event is a more traditional whisky event with several brands and several guests. There are a range of whiskies being offered, with pours worth anywhere from maybe $25 a bottle to up to $1000. We do pair WOL with an Ultra-VIP event the night before, and this is a smaller dinner event, where invited brands bring some ultra-premium pours. Several drams at this event range to upwards of $5000 a bottle. Some may even be considered priceless, as how do you price a whisky drawn especially for our event after over say 37 years in a cask? or 47 years?

Last November’s first ever Water of Life Fall event, the WOLF, was inspired by a friend of mine, Diageo UK Ambassador Colin Dunn. Colin had a rare bottle of York House Whisky, a predominantly Mortlach blend sold in Macy’s New York. He wanted the bottle to be opened where it was sold some 75 years earlier, with all the proceeds going to charity. Although offered a few thousand British Pounds to put the bottle in the Diageo Whisky Museum, Colin is a fan of the concept that whisky was made to drink, not to look at. He flew the bottle over and hosted a master class in the World’s Greatest Department Store’s Herald Square Flagship. Shortly after 5 magnificent whiskies, we worked our way over to Keen’s for a 3-course meal, and 26 more amazing drams. Everyone in attendance thought the night was incredible, and although it was intended as a one-off I have already been approached by brands wanting to debut some amazing pours, so I have a funny feeling the WOLF will be back. People are already selecting drams for both Ultra-VIP and the WOLF, and I must say the Water of Lifers, as I call them, are in for some amazing surprises.

KM:  Finally, as this is your whiskey event, what do find yourself looking forward to the most each year?

ML: I look forward to seeing smiles on the faces of my friends. I tried to create an event, where everyone in attendance has a wonderful evening. Obviously great whisky is a big part of it, but I also think the whisky community is full of some amazing people, both on the consumer and brand sides. I want Water of Life to be something the brands look forward to each year and hope the guests do as well. Considering all the monies raised go to a charity, I look forward to the happy faces at Life Raft Group too. I cannot wait to see several old friends, make new ones, try some amazing drams, and raise our glasses together as we all Drink Whisky to Fight Cancer this May third!

See you there, Slainte Mhath!