Adam Polonski
39 | Co-Founder and Head of Whiskey Sourcing, Lost Lantern Whiskey
Residence: Chittenden
Career Highlights: The career highlight I’m most proud of is building Lost Lantern from just an idea into a nationally known and recognized voice in the whiskey industry, a company that distillers themselves say is playing a real role in our industry’s future. I was a journalist before starting Lost Lantern, not a natural-born entrepreneur, and that has made it all the more satisfying to be able to build a dream into a reality. And I get to do it alongside Nora Ganley-Roper, my cofounder and wife, who IS a natural-born entrepreneur!
One specific highlight from earlier this year: delivering a major presentation with Nora at the industry’s leading conference, to a room packed with our peers in the industry. It’s pretty special to be able to build a business with your spouse and have experiences like that together!
Community Involvement: My community involvement currently focuses on the spirits industry, where I’m an elected board member of the American Craft Spirits Association, the national nonprofit advocating for craft spirits across the country. I’m deeply involved in both advocacy and education at both the local and national level. I particularly work to develop and welcome new voices in the industry, helping younger distillers step up to become industry leaders.
I also remain actively involved with UVM’s Sustainable Innovation MBA program, which I graduated from a few years ago. I speak with prospective students, speak on alumni panels, occasionally serve as a guest speaker or participant in special events, etc. I deeply believe in the program’s vision for a new kind of sustainable business, one that can be a transformative and positive force for both the environment and our culture.
What motivated you to live and work in Vermont: I was motivated to live and work in Vermont by a desire to find a place with a real sense of community and a connection to nature: a place that (unlike NYC, where I lived before, and even unlike Albany, where I grew up) was not dominated solely by people and what we’ve built
Favorite part of your job: My favorite part of my job is talking to and visiting distilleries across the country, finding the very best whiskies that most people don’t know about yet, and then convincing distillers to sell some of their whiskey to us so we can share their story with a national audience. I love seeing the unique ways people approach the art of making whiskey all over the country, how they choose to embrace local ingredients and their own environment to make whiskey in ways that could never be done anywhere else. And this travel has led me to many rarely visited corners of the United States, from South Dakota corn country to the Delta in Arkansas to the mountains and basins of Idaho and Nevada. There is always another adventure!
Most inspiring mentor and why: My most inspiring mentor is Dave Smith, head blender at St. George Spirits in California. St. George is the oldest and one of the most successful craft distilleries in the country, one that is deeply dedicated to its craft, and Dave takes both the whiskey and the business itself incredibly seriously. But most of all, he has helped teach me how to run a large, successful, and vision-driven organization while still centering kindness in every aspect of his professional life. So many leaders see being kind as optional, or even a sign of weakness or softness. Dave shows what the alternative looks like, one where uplifting those around you is not an afterthought but truly one of the primary purposes of your work.
What is the best career advice: The best career advice I have received is that being a kind person is not the same as being a pushover. Building a reputation as someone who other people genuinely enjoy working with really matters – and it’s very satisfying too!
Tell us something fun about yourself that few people know: Few people know that I used to walk around my college campus in a wizard cape! That was years ago, but I still have it and bust it out for special occasions.
Favorite Vermont escape: My favorite Vermont escape is going donut picking in the fall, picking fresh apple cider donuts straight off the donut trees at all the local orchards. There may also be apples involved. Maybe.
Favorite Vermont season: My favorite Vermont season is fall, without a doubt! I love the crisp, cool air, the beauty of the leaves, and all the many shapes and sizes of pumpkins.
Favorite downtime activity: My favorite downtime activity is building up a small little berry patch and fruit tree orchard at home. This year’s new addition: cranberries!
Where do you see yourself professionally in the next 5-10 years: In the next 5-10 years I’d like to still be building Lost Lantern! Even as we celebrate our fifth anniversary this fall, we are still in the early days and I am excited to work with Nora and our team to build Lost Lantern into a whiskey company that can stand the test of time–and eventually be a powerful force for change in our industry.