Scofflaw’s Den was founded in 2007 by T. Marshall Fawley III and Sean Michael “SeanMike” Whipkey. They began the site as an “online speakeasy of potent potables and other pabulum.” The term “scofflaw” is itself a by-product of America’s foray into Prohibition during the early part of the 20th century to describe someone who bought or consumed the illegal liquor of the times. Marshall and SeanMike became friends in 1994 as students at the University of Virginia thanks to a mutual interest in music and their membership in the Virginia Pep Band. Soon they discovered other mutual interests which included a deep affection for bourbon – one shared with many of their classmates – and for cigars. Flash-forward a decade or so and the two found themselves living in the burgeoning metropolis of Washington, D.C., specifically the Northern Virginia area.
Marshall took the time to introduce SeanMike to the online cocktailian community while SeanMike returned the favor by further dragging Marshall deeper into the online world. From the meager beginnings on LiveJournal to the most recent digs you see now, Scofflaw’s Den has grown exponentially throughout the years. As the site has grown, so have it’s creators Marshall and SeanMike. The “OS” (“Original Scofflaws”) have completed the Pernod-Ricard BarSmarts Wired training course to become alcohol and spirit educators and fledgling bartenders. They have been published in various websites, cocktail magazines and recipe books such as the Washingtonian, Imbibe, Mutineer, Market Watch and the 2009 Tales of the Cocktail Recipe Book.
In February 2012, Marshall began offering public and private cocktail classes at various bars in and around the DC Metro area. Marshall has shared his love for spirits and cocktails with students ranging from bachelor parties, cocktail enthusiasts, hospitality professionals (bar and restaurant) and even a Smithsonian Institute leadership group. From this experience and talking with several friends in the restaurant/bar industry, Marshall and SeanMike decided to incorporate Scofflaw’s Den and create a spirit and cocktail education and consulting company. To further their goal, Scofflaw’s Den grew with the addition of partners Anthony Rivera and Ashley Schmidt two professional bartenders with extensive knowledge in program development and training and a solid knowledge of spirits and classic cocktails.
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