We’re back with Day 2 of Between Two Barrels from the 2024 Kentucky Bourbon Festival. Kicking off day 2 is Chris Chapanar of Whiskey Noobs telling us what you should be paying for bottles, then it’s Chad and Sara of It’s Bourbon Night on how to make cocktails easy at home, next is TJ of Brewzle who says the three tier system is destroying craft distilleries, Frank Dobbins who writes for UPROXX gives insight into how many bourbons are all derived from a single mashbill, and we wrap up the day with Jack Beguedou, the Hood Sommeilier, who will take us on a sensory experience. It was a special moment for us to host this event with everyone at KBF and now the planning has started for a completely new format we’re bringing to the 2025 Kentucky Bourbon Fest.

Show Notes:

• Chris Chapanar @whiskey_noobs – The Price is Right… Sometimes
• Chad and Sara @itsbourbonnight – Making Cocktails Easy
• TJ Gamble @brewzle – Why are we trying to kill craft whiskey distilleries?
• Frank Dobbins @bourbyourenthusiasm – From One Mash Bill Many Bourbons Are Born
• Jack Beguedou @hood_sommelier – SPICES AND WHISKEY: A sensory experience
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At the 2024 Kentucky Bourbon Festival, we ran an activation at the Pursuit Spirits area called Between Two Barrels which featured lightening talks from people who you probably already follow on different social media platforms. The topic was up to them and they had anywhere between 5-15 minutes to speak freely on whatever they wanted. We ran this activation for two days with 5 session on each day and have broken this up into two different releases. This first day features Chris Blatner known at the Urban Bourbonist talking about session cocktails, Jacob Kiper from Coming Whiskey with the origins of the three tier system, Mark Rucker of The Bourbon Life discussing how to turn a passion into a way of life, Tyler Zoller of Louisville Bourbon Buzz gives tips on whiskey content creation, and we wrap up day 1 with Heather Wibbels known as the Cocktail Contessa, telling us how to select the perfect bourbon for your cocktail.

Show Notes:

• Chris Blatner @urbanbourbonist – Drinking Less While Still Drinking
• Jacob Kiper @comingwhiskey – Origins of the 3 tier system of distribution
• Mark Rucker @the_bourbon_life – Turning A Passion Into a Way of Life
• Tyler Zoller @louisvillebourbonbuzz – Whiskey Content Creation 101
• Heather Wibbels @cocktail_contessa – Selecting the Perfect Bourbon for Your Cocktail
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In this episode, we sit down with Amine Karaoud, the founder behind Old Louisville Whiskey Company. Amine’s path is unorthodox, transitioning from a safe career in engineering to living a life behind the counter of a struggling liquor store in Old Louisville. At that store, he learned about the business and how to navigate the three tier system. He also had some foresight where he took profits from the store and started buying barrels at MGP years ago but he didn’t know what to do with them. Fast forward a few years, he’s got a healthy stock of double digit aged barrels and an idea of creating a new brand. His past life with the retail ingrained a sense of hospitality which is one of the reasons why he has fostered a community that grabs up all his releases.

Show Notes:

• What inspired your move from engineering to the whiskey industry?
• How did you revitalize the liquor store you took over?
• What obstacles did you encounter while launching your whiskey brand?
• Can you elaborate on your barrel sourcing strategy?
• Why did you choose to build your own distillery instead of using co-packers?
• What role does community engagement play in your business?
• Insights into your blending process and the importance of mash bills.
• How has your retail experience influenced your whiskey offerings?
• Any tips for budding distillers or liquor store owners?
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We’re coming together and we’re talking about age statements. Wild Turkey 101 is making its 8 year return for the first time since 1992. But I really wanted to pose a question of when do age statements really matter? You see all kinds of brands that are very successful without age statements, namely coming from Brown Forman with the likes of Old Forrester and with Woodford Reserve. Even the most famous bourbon on the planet, Blanton’s, doesn’t have an age statement. So when do age statements matter?

Show Notes:

• Wild Turkey 101 is making an 8 year return
• When do age statements matter?
• Support this podcast on Patreon

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Every year we get to talk to a brand that has started to captivate the market and I can’t stop seeing Found North pop up all over my feeds. Founders and brothers Zach and Nick Taylor join the show to talk about how they found a product-market fit. They did it the right way by finding really high quality Canadian whiskey, double digit age statements, and appeal to the cask strength chasers with high proof whiskey.

Show Notes:

• Journey of Zach and Nick Taylor into the whiskey industry
• Transitioning from tech startups to whiskey entrepreneurship
• Challenges and milestones in launching Found North
• Importance of age statements and high-proof Canadian whiskey
• Insights on blending techniques and flavor innovation
• Marketing strategies focused on authenticity and consumer engagement
• Community building and the role of word-of-mouth in whiskey promotion
• Support this podcast on Patreon

This is one of my favorite types of episodes because this bourbon world is full of hype, flops, superstitions, and just weird stuff. We return to this beloved format of is something over, under, or properly rated. We ask if the iconic cocktail, the Old Fashioned, whiskey collections, MGP, cigar blends, speakeasies and more as we ask are these over, under, or properly rated?

Show Notes:

• The Old Fashioned vs. Manhattan: cocktail preferences of whiskey enthusiasts
• Scotch: overrated or properly rated?
• Discussing MGP’s role in the market: reputation vs. reality
• The evolution of whiskey collections and wise collecting practices
• Cigar blends: a trend or a genuine innovation?
• Light whiskey: its place in the greater whiskey landscape
• The value of tasting flights and the allure of speakeasy bars
• Support this podcast on Patreon

You’re probably reading the title to this podcast going, what? a podcast from 2018? Yes, this is a never before aired episode that Ryan and I recorded at Bourbon Bonanza back in 2018. So here’s the story. Bourbon Bonanza was an offshoot event that would happen during Kentucky Bourbon Festival but wasn’t associated with the festival. It was tied in with Willett so there were a lot of influential people at the time that came to this event. Ryan and I took our equipment, plus our very first release of Pursuit Series, into what was Harrison-Smith House at the time which is now the new Chicken Cock visitor center and we sat down with Bill Thomas of Jack Rose in Washington DC and Mike Miller of Delilah’s in Chicago, who still to this day run the most successful whiskey bars in the country. There is also a small appearance by Tatsumi at the very end and you will hear his story as a part of this episode. The sound environment was challenging and I wasn’t happy with how the audio turned out. Let’s fast forward almost 7 years and audio cleanup software has gotten so good that it’s now time to release it. We talk about the festival, barrel picks, community, and trends they were seeing at the time. So here you go, a blast from the past with an unreleased archive episode.

Show Notes:

• Bourbon Bonanza Festival Highlights
• Bourbon Culture Transformation
• Community Building in Bourbon
• Enjoyment vs. Investment in Collecting
• Personal Whiskey Memories
• New Distillery Discoveries
• Insights on Barrel Picks
• Trends in the Bourbon Market
• Support this podcast on Patreon

Video is the hot new way to share. Social media platforms are way different now that TikTok turned it all upside down. I’ve always been fascinated with one creator that has great camera work but also good taste and thats Tyler Zoller from Louisville Bourbon Buzz. We explore his journey from portrait photography to bourbon-focused content creation. Since launching his Instagram in 2015, Tyler has navigated the challenges of bourbon photography, blending high-quality images with short-form video trends that go absolutely viral. Tyler shares insights on building client relationships, emphasizing authenticity over flashy marketing, and we also dive into another passion of his which is exploring abandoned places. He also reveals ambitious plans for YouTube to create longer, community-focused content that deepens engagement with his followers.

Show Notes:

• Where did the name Louisville Bourbon Buzz come from?
• How did you originally get into photography before bourbon?
• What unique challenges does bourbon photography present?
• What was the turning point for your content strategy?
• How does Tyler handle client relationships and build his business?
• What’s the backstory behind his fascination with abandoned places?
• How does the dynamic of creating content for various platforms differ?
• What are Tyler’s plans for YouTube and long-form content?
• Support this podcast on Patreon

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but bourbon isn’t dead. Sure the media has spun this to a point where major drinks organizations are groveling for every last bit of marketshare but bourbon isn’t going anywhere and we cite why we think so. The second half of the show gets into contract distillation and how that has created more tension in the market than ever before.

Show Notes:

• The impact of recent tariffs and cost implications on consumers.
• Bourbon market insights: why premium brands continue to thrive even as some larger brands see declines.
• Perspectives on the misconception that bourbon is dying.
• Recent formation of Lofted Spirits and the implications for Bardstown Bourbon Company and Green River Distilling.
• Potential expansion opportunities for distilleries into other spirits.
• Speculation on the future of contract distillation and the role of heritage distillers in the market.
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At this point, there’s no escaping it so it’s time to embrace it. Atificial intelligence is sweeping across every industry and bourbon is no different. For that reason I’ve invited Lynette Green on the show. She is the e-commerce manager for Jack Daniel’s at Brown-Forman, and we explore the dynamic intersection of technology and the whiskey industry. I start by reflecting on the impact of rapidly evolving technologies, particularly AI, and how they are reshaping consumer interactions and content creation in bourbon. Lynette shares her impressive journey with Brown-Forman, highlighting the shifts in digital marketing from its early days to the now crucial role of e-commerce in spirits. The conversation also dives into the potential of AI tools in marketing while balancing them with human creativity, and Lynette’s forward-looking vision gives us an insight into the futrue of the direct-to-consumer model.

Show Notes:

• Kenny’s tech background and how it shaped his perspective on AI
• Lynette’s career path within Brown-Forman and her entry into the spirits industry
• How digital marketing has transformed over the years
• The role of e-commerce and its industry-specific nuances in the spirits market
• The importance of creating a compelling digital shelf and effective product pages
• Strategies for using AI in marketing while maintaining authenticity
• Future trends in DTC channels for premium spirits
• Insights into regulatory landscapes affecting the spirits industry
• The transformative potential of AI in shaping brand narratives and customer experience
• Support this podcast on Patreon