Mention John Wabeck’s name to restaurant professionals working in Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C. and beyond, and they inevitably note two points.
First, his extensive wine knowledge and experience are second to none. But he’s also an esteemed mentor known for his dry, self-deprecating humor while taking time to coach, share knowledge, motivate and advise other professionals in the business.
Currently, Wabeck serves as wine director at Downtown Pittsburgh’s Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse. And the title does not do justice to his outstanding achievements in the spirits arena.
In October 2022, Wabeck became one of the first five people worldwide to earn the Master of Scotch certification after passing a challenging examination administered by the Council of Whiskey Masters in Scotland.
Since then, he’s earned additional accolades including: certificates in American Single Malt Whiskey (October 2023) and Irish Whiskey (August 2024) from the Edinburgh Whisky Academy. Most recently, in December 2024, he completed a crowning achievement, receiving the Master of Whiskey certification again from the Council of Whiskey Masters.
Early in his career, Wabeck did not focus on being a beverage professional. Instead, he became a chef.
‘C.I.A.’ training
After cutting his teeth working as a youth working in kitchens on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Wabeck enrolled in the big-time training program at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. As he honed his culinary skills, he also dipped into studying wine and spirits under an influential instructor, Brian Smith.
“I liked how he talked about wine and the knowledge base for wines and beverages,” Wabeck recalls. “But honestly, like most young people in the restaurant business, it was the drinking part that I really enjoyed.”
He continued the drinking part as he landed jobs as a chef in various restaurants in Washington, D.C. Pairing wines with food was important for business.
“Mainly I got involved in trying the wines because I was a loudmouth chef who liked to stick my nose in the wine buying for the restaurant,” he recalls.
Through the process, he eventually met Lanny Lancaster of C’est Vin wine importers. Prior to starting C’est Vin in 1997, Lancaster was a fighter pilot in Vietnam, where he earned prestigious combat decorations including a Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. In short, he was a no-nonsense guy who also happened to love and sell wine.
Wabeck says meeting Lancaster and becoming friends reshaped his approach to wine and the restaurant business in general.
“I traveled with Lanny to France over 10 times. He introduced me in depth to the wines of Champagne and Burgundy,” Wabeck recalls. “The cerebral aspects of those wines appealed to me. I came to love how the best of the wines offer delicate, beautiful balance and clear terroir.”
Plus, he enjoyed drinking the wines and meeting legendary characters in France such as the late Becky Wasserman and Clive Coates, Russell Hone, Allen Meadows and winegrowers such as the Lafarge family, among countless others. Through Lancaster, Wabeck says he realized you could have fun on the beverage side, but you always have to keep an eye on taking care of business.
“I learned that you have to be humble and realize how much you don’t know. You also should reach out to colleagues and return the knowledge and skills. It’s part of being professional.”
Wabeck applied this more disciplined and professional path after going full time as a sommelier overseeing wine and spirits sales and education. The dedicated hard work paid off.
His presence and reputation in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere grew. In 2009, Food and Wine Magazine, a national publication, named him Sommelier of the Year.
Embracing spirits
In 2013, John moved to Pittsburgh with much ballyhoo. He became wine director and then general manager of Spoon, the highly regarded and now-closed East Liberty restaurant. He immediately began elevating the professionalism and knowledge of local beverage colleagues by hosting Sunday morning gatherings at his home to taste wine and socialize.
Wabeck next moved to beverage manager of the DeShantz Restaurant Group, whose restaurants include Meat and Potatoes, Poulet Bleu and Butcher and the Rye.
“At Butcher and the Rye, we had between 700 and 800 whiskies. I quickly realized that the staff knew more about them than I did,” he remembers.
Wabeck set about delving into spirits with the same zeal for knowledge that informed his wine studies. Then the COVID-19 lockdown provided a ready opportunity to really go deep by studying to become a Master of Scotch, one of his favorite spirits.
“Every year the Master of Scotch certification covers 24 participating distilleries representing the wide variety of styles across Scotland,” Wabeck notes.
Some distilleries use peat in their process, resulting in Scotch with distinctly smoky aromas. Others have more restrained styles.
He passed the written exam and the tasting test in Scotland on his first try.
“On a good day, I can pick the subtleties of the different peat whiskies from the various western islands,” Wabeck says modestly.
He characterizes Highland Scotches as generally having more rugged, spicy styles, while the popular Speyside whiskies of northeastern Scotland are often lighter and more floral.
“I like learning about the history and tradition of each distillery as an important piece of the terroir of each place,” he adds.
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse offers a wide variety of single-malt Scotch from famed producers such as Glenlivet, Macallan and Laphroaig. They also have excellent blended Scotch whiskies.
“Pound for pound for taste and price, it’s tough to beat Johnny Walker Black Label 12-year-old Blended Scotch,” Wabeck notes. Johnny Walker blends primarily single-malt whiskies from 40 leading distillers across Scotland. In addition, a portion of grain whisky goes into the blend.
In Pennsylvania, try Johnny Walker Black Label 12-year-old Blended Scotch ($43.99; PLCB No. 4233). Its aromas unfold sweet fruit, spice and vanilla with subtle smoky notes. The palate is smooth and full-flavored with a touch of peat and a fresh finish. It’s a terrific bottle for a small daily dram.
Wabeck’s experience with studying Scotch only motivated him to learn more about American single-malt whiskies and Irish whiskies. Then, he took on mastering spirits from 48 participating distillers the world over, including Canada, India, Japan, Taiwan, and even good Kentucky bourbons such as Wild Turkey, one of Wabeck’s favorites.
“It is a big challenge,” he notes. “The common thread is that each whiskey tastes like the distillery itself first. Each distillery has subtle differences from others in how they ferment the grain, how they take cuts during distillation, and then how they eventually age the spirits in barrels of various ages and types.”
Again mastering the large amount of information appealed to Wabeck’s disciplined thirst for knowledge. He says the ongoing challenge is to continue learning by keeping humble and realizing how much he still doesn’t know. Classic Wabeck.
At Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, you can taste one of Wabeck’s favorites, Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. It’s a blend of corn, rye, and single malt and made by the same folks who bring us Wild Turkey bourbon.
“We’re only allocated one bottle a year,” Wabeck notes with a wry smile. “It offers a truly unique opportunity to taste a great whiskey.”
Another Wabeck favorite at Del Frisco’s is the Usquaebach 15-Year Blended-Malt Scotch Whisky, which blends some of the finest Highland single malts, aged for 15-20 years. Then, from the Outer Hebrides, Scotland’s western islands, Del Frisco’s offers the Isle of Harris Distillery’s Hearach Single-Malt Scotch Whisky, a handmade spirit aged in carefully selected used bourbon and sherry casks.
What’s next for Wabeck? He’s now a judge for the Master of Scotch examinations. He travels to Scotland every other year for the competition. He also mentions going deeper in the study of gin.
Whatever Wabeck decides, you can be sure that he will take it seriously. But he’ll also make it fun while holding himself and his restaurant colleagues to the highest professional standards and levels of knowledge.
Cheers!