A lot of distributors tell us that brands are built behind the bar. To a degree that is true. These folks are on the front lines making drinks and have to be knowledgeable about what they are creating. Yet, a bartenders job is high stress and they don’t get a chance to get immersed in a brand so that’s where Camp Runamok comes in. We’re joined by Lindsey Johnson who manages this fantasy camp for bartenders. Bartenders from around the country write essays like they are filing a college application to be accepted into a week of events with Camp Runamok. We talk about what benefits there are for both sides when it comes to the campers and the brands who support it.

Show Notes:

• 00:00-Introduction to Camp Runamuck
• 06:00-The Evolution of Bartending and Industry Relationships
• 12:02-The Concept and Growth of Camp Runamuck
• 18:08-Experiential Learning and Community Building
• 24:10-Mentorship and the Future of Bartending
• 28:09-Creating Safe Spaces for Sober Campers
• 32:07-The Evolution of Drinking Culture Among Gen Z
• 35:21-Navigating a Career in Bartending
• 40:40-Supporting Small Craft Brands in the Industry
• 43:47-The Impact of Camp Run Amok on Bartenders
• 49:34-Building Community and Connections in Bartending
• Support this podcast on Patreon

If you have followed the progress of this show since the beginning, you can see the evolution of what we talk about. In the beginning it was about brands and Master Distillers, then when we started Pursuit Spirits we were introduced into the world of brokers and the middle layer of people who own barrels without brands. That information has made its way to you and now you know more about the market. But that brokered market is heavily guarded. It’s a series of handshakes, phone calls, and emails with excel spreadsheets with prices to see what’s available. However, Rob Arnold with Barrel Hub is trying to make access easier for everyone. Rob isn’t new to this game. He spent his undergraduate in Texas and is the person responsible for the pecan yeast strain used by TX Whiskey to this day. We talk about his background and how that led to the idea of creating a portal where industry folks can buy and sell barrels on the wholesale market.

Show Notes:

• 00:00-Introduction to Bourbon Pursuit and Market Evolution
• 03:10-The Brokered Whiskey Market and Its Challenges
• 05:56-Rob Arnold’s Background and Innovative Ideas
• 09:07-The Role of Yeast in Whiskey Production
• 11:53-The Journey of TX Whiskey and Its Unique Identity
• 15:08-Navigating the Craft Whiskey Landscape
• 17:53-The Science Behind TX Whiskey’s Yeast
• 21:09-The Impact of Pernod Ricard’s Acquisition
• 30:07-Navigating Challenges During COVID-19
• 32:23-The Science of Whiskey: Writing and Education
• 36:00-Innovative Barrel Financing Solutions
• 40:40-Introducing Barrel Hub: A Marketplace for Whiskey
• 46:12-Transparency in the Whiskey Market
• 52:44-Empowering Entrepreneurs in the Whiskey Industry
• Support this podcast on Patreon

We talk about Penelope a lot on the show because they are a prime example of how to differentiate yourself in the marketplace from a crowded shelf of bottles. Our first episode with Mike Paladini and Danny Polise was back on epsidoe 382. And now this time we catch up with them again but after they were acquired by MGP for $215M. We talk about life after acquisition and what that means to access to whiskey, the life of the brand, and how their roles have changed from running it all to leaning on a large organiztion with a substantial salesforce.

Show Notes:

• 00:00-The Journey Begins: From Mattresses to Bourbon
• 04:54-The Rise of Penelope Bourbon: Challenges and Innovations
• 09:57-Acquisition Insights: Life After MGP
• 19:52-Product Development: The Art of Blending and Finishing
• 30:04-Future Aspirations: Growth and New Innovations
• Support this podcast on Patreon

Has celebrity whiskey turned a new page? In this edition of Bourbon Community Roundtable we start examining the world of celebrity once again. Previously disregarded amongst whiskey geeks, we now see the tide shifting where celevrities are beginning to put out some really great stuff. We discuss what makes a brand stick and how celebrities and can’t just splash and dash if they want a long standing product.

Show Notes:

• 00:00-Introduction to Bourbon Pursuit and Celebrity Whiskeys
• 12:15-The Rise of Celebrity Whiskeys
• 21:44-Challenges and Opportunities in Celebrity Whiskey Brands
• 28:24-Crafting Celebrity Spirits: The Business Models
• 31:18-Pricing Strategies: Balancing Quality and Accessibility
• 35:16-The Importance of Authenticity in Celebrity Brands
• 39:23-Challenges in the Celebrity Spirits Market
• 42:44-Consumer Perception: The Connection Between Celebrity and Product
• 46:37-Building a Portfolio: Beyond One Product
• 50:33-The Future of Celebrity Brands in Bourbon
• Support this podcast on Patreon

(more…)

The term premium has shifted a lot over the years. In regards of whiskey, just a few short years ago, that term was defined as any bottle over $50. I think we can all agree that $50 seems to an entrypoint into the mid-tier these days. In this episode, Fred, Ryan and myself, we talk about what we believe to be premium with how the market and economic conditions can effect the prices of your bottles.

Show Notes:

• 00:00-The Evolution of Premium Whiskey
• 05:54-Defining Premium: Price, Age, and Quality
• 11:59-Market Dynamics: The Role of Distillers and Brands
• 17:45-Consumer Perception: What Makes Whiskey Premium?
• 24:05-The Impact of Packaging and Marketing on Premium Status
• 30:08-Future Trends in the Premium Whiskey Market
• Support this podcast on Patreon

Ben Holiday is making some serious waves and it’s really great to see a non-kentucky distiller starting to turn some heads. So it felt like it was time to hear more from the brand that has become a new favorite among many. We invited their master distiller, Kyle Merklein to come on the show. We talk about the history of the distillery and their intention on reviving the brand. There’s a lot of intentional things they did when it came to marketing that made it appeal to so many and we find out how they were able to wait 6 years until they released their first bourbon.

Show Notes:

• 00:00-Introduction to Bourbon Pursuit and Ben Holiday Distillery
• 05:49-The Rise of Non-Kentucky Bourbon
• 11:56-Kyle Merkline’s Journey to Distilling
• 17:56-The History of Ben Holiday Distillery
• 24:06-Prohibition and Its Impact on Distilling
• 29:47-The Distillation Process and Techniques
• 36:09-The Importance of Aging and Waiting
• 42:13-Marketing Strategies and Brand Growth
• Support this podcast on Patreon

As a listener of Bourbon Pursuit, you already know more than the average bourbon consumer that walks the aisles. We get into tons of different discussions that surround the whiskey industry and you’ve heard us talk about barrels that aren’t owned by distilleries but sit on the books of brokers or middle-men. With the explosion of bourbon over the past few years, the cost to acquire those barrels from brokers has sky rocketed, and whenever there is an opportunity to make money, more people get into the game. Today, there are millions of barrels aging in warehouses that don’t belong to brands but are done as investments for anybody willing to take the risk. It’s really no different than the stock market and for that reason we have Jeremy Kasler and Sara Havens from Cask X join the show. We talk about the business model and how anyone with the some spare money can put their dollars into barrels of whiskey as an alternative investment. We go through the legal ramifications and the unrealized benefits of being a CaskX customer. We also talk about the current market where we are seeing a decline in prices and if that means all good things come to an end or if the market is still strong and is a good place to think about future investments.

Show Notes:

• 00:00-Introduction to Bourbon Pursuit and Barrel Investment
• 07:12-The Role of Whiskey Enthusiasts in Brand Success
• 12:53-The Evolution of Barrel Brokering and Investment
• 21:24-Understanding the Risks and Returns of Barrel Investments
• 30:32-Market Trends and the Future of Bourbon
• 40:15-Investor Profiles and Distillery Partnerships
• Support this podcast on Patreon

On this Bourbon Community Roundtable, we discuss the latest that happened at Kentucky Bourbon Festival and how this could resurge and fuel the growth of bourbon.

Show Notes:

• 00:00-Celebrating Milestones in Bourbon Podcasting
• 01:02-The State of Bourbon Festivals and Industry Health
• 04:56-Reflections on Regrets in Bourbon and Career Choices
• 09:59-The Excitement of Bourbon Community Roundtable
• 19:57-The Role of Festivals in Bourbon Culture
• 30:06-Consumer Engagement and the Future of Bourbon Festivals
• 39:45-The Health of the Bourbon Category and Market Trends
• Support this podcast on Patreon

(more…)

One thing I love about what we do in this show is that we continue to explore new and interesting angles of the bourbon world. And one that always gets overlooked is the role of public relations. All major corporations have contracts with PR firms where it’s their responsibility to get eyeballs on every new release, get butts in seats at events, and make some kind of commotion about their whiskey. To explore this topic, I’ve invited Dave Karrakur on the show. He’s an industry veteran who has done PR his entire career at places like Sega and Campari but has now ventured off on his own with Raptor Communications. We talk about the stress that PR feels when it comes time to put out a new release, how to get it in front of the right audience and get words in articles like Forbes, and how do you response to a client when something just completely flops.

Show Notes:

• 00:00-Introduction and the Role of PR in the Bourbon Industry
• 06:28-Exploring a New Angle: Public Relations in the Bourbon World
• 10:26-Guest’s Background in PR and the Drinks Business
• 18:55-The Need for PR and Creating a Compelling Narrative
• 25:25-Navigating the Changing Media Landscape
• 31:39-Rising Above the Clutter: Detail and Engagement
• 32:35-Building Whiskey Brands through PR
• 34:02-Measuring the Impact of PR
• 35:00-The Value of Third-Party Endorsements
• 37:16-Building Relationships with Journalists and Influencers
• 39:32-Navigating Social Media Platforms for Whiskey Marketing
• 44:11-Distribution Challenges and On-Shelf Presence
• 46:04-Strategies for Sending Samples to Reviewers
• 48:55-Maintaining a Cadence of PR Activities
• 50:17-Dealing with Negative Reviews
• 55:03-The Complex and Stressful Nature of Whiskey PR
• Support this podcast on Patreon

I’ve been around bourbon as a more than a light bystander for more than a decade. We talk on the show all the time about how we got to know bourbon at a good time but today we get our reality check. I put a message out on a local facebook group in Louisville asking for anyone who has gotten into bourbon in less than a year to send me a message about coming on the show to give us their perspective because I want to know what goes through the mind of today’s new bourbon drinker. Brian Sekelsky and Justin Kingery are two new bourbon enthusiasts and we dive into the factors that have influenced their buying habits. We touch on the variety of bourbons available today, including finishes, and the their openness to trying new things instead of chasing what’s popular.

Show Notes:

• Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about
• Woodford Double Oak and Blanton’s are mentioned as gateway bourbons
• Cocktails played a role in their bourbon journey, with the Old Fashioned being a favorite.
• Finding rare bottles and sharing their bourbon experiences with others brings excitement and enjoyment.
• Personal taste and experimentation are key in the bourbon journey. Intrigue, emotion, and consistency are key factors in the speaker’s bourbon collection.
• We value the experience and emotional connection with bourbon.
• Social media, YouTube channels, and Facebook groups play a role in shaping the intrigue.
• We’re skeptical about opening expensive bottles and considers price when making purchasing decisions.
• Label recognition and bottle design influence the speaker’s purchasing decisions.
• The variety of bourbons available today, including finishes, offers new and interesting experiences.
• We touch on the importance of truth in advertising in the bourbon industry.
• Support this podcast on Patreon