Libsyn Directory

214: Diversity & Inclusion in Bourbon: Roundtable Discussion

Release Date: 02/20/2023

283: The Master Distiller of the Northwest's Largest & Oldest Distillery

Bourbon Lens

We are joined by Caitlin Bartlemay, Master Distiller for Hood River Distillers and their portfolio of brands, including Clear Creek, McCarthy’s, and Trail’s End. Caitlin was recently appointed to the role of Master Distiller after many years with the company, a testament to her passion for the brands and distilling. We discuss their portfolio, including two Single Malts from McCarthy’s, the FIRST American Single Malt Whiskey, and Trail’s End Bourbons. We are thankful for your support over the last 5 years. We must give the biggest shoutout to our growing Patreon Community...

282: How to Build a Whiskey Empire with Truist Financial

Bourbon Lens

Jake sits down with Joseph Goode and Cody Matthews of Truist Financial to discuss the ways you can go about building your own liquid empire. There are many strategies that Truist deploys when helping a customer realize their dream of opening a distillery, creating a whiskey company, and procuring barrels. Sit back, grab a pen and paper, and pour up some bourbon and listen to the latest episode of the Bourbon Lens Podcast. We are thankful for your support over the last 5 years. We must give the biggest shoutout to our growing Patreon Community of supporters! As always, we'd appreciate it if...

281: The Diverse Whiskey Portfolio of Coors Spirits Co.

Bourbon Lens

Past guest, Mike Montgomery, re-joins Bourbon Lens to talk whiskey. Mike is the co-founder of Blue Run Spirits and previously appeared in and of Bourbon Lens. Mike is currently the Vice President of Spirits for the Molson Coors Beverage Company, which acquired Blue Run Spirits in mid-2023. Molson Coors is growing its spirits division and Blue Run is a big piece of that movement. The portfolio also includes two relative newcomers to the whiskey world, and . We are thankful for your support over the last 5 years. We must give the biggest shoutout to our growing...

280: The Evolution and Growth of Southern Distilling Co.

Bourbon Lens

We’re joined by Pete Barger, co-founder of Southern Distilling Company in Statesville, North Carolina. Pete discusses what led him to founding his distillery. We also explore the growth they’ve experienced, from sourcing whiskey to producing their own spirits, and even becoming one of the largest contract distillers you may have not heard of yet. This is a wide-ranging episode and capped off by some excellent whiskey and great company. If you’re looking for your next grain-to-glass bottle of whiskey, check out Southern Distilling and their Southern Star and Hunting Creek lines of...

279: A Toast to the Story of Blackwood Distilling Co.

Bourbon Lens

We sit down with our friend, Zach Johnston, of Blackwood Distilling Co. Zach is currently the Chief Business Officer of International Sales for Blackwood. We discuss Zach’s background in the spirits world, including his time writing for UPROXX and judging spirits competitions. Zach is tasked with growing Blackwood to the next level as they grow their portfolio from ultra-limited edition releases to gain a broader audience in the international market. We taste through their limited release Toasted Bourbon and Toasted Rye Whiskey, discuss their plans for future releases, and tease some...

278: Visiting Limestone Branch Distillery's New Tasting Lodge

Bourbon Lens

Jake travels to Lebanon KY to visit Limestone Branch and see the . He’s joined by Master Distiller, Stephen Beam, and Stephen Fante, Brand Ambassador for Limestone Branch. They discuss the new facility, the single barrel program, and growing the Yellowstone Whiskey brand. Don’t miss this episode. We are thankful for your support over the last 5 years. We must give the biggest shoutout to our growing Patreon Community of supporters! As always, we'd appreciate it if you would take a few minutes time to give us feedback on Bourbon Lens podcast. If you enjoy our content,...

277: The New Chapter in the History of Templeton Distillery

Bourbon Lens

Our guest today is Shane Fitzharris for Templeton Distillery in Iowa. Shane is the Senior VP for Commercial for Infinium Spirits, owner of the Templeton Distillery and brands. We discuss the next chapter in Templeton’s history as they recently released their first spirit distilled in-house; Fortitude Straight Iowa Bourbon. We discuss the history of the brand, their revival of the brand, and how they sourced a very popular Rye Whiskey to grow their brand to be in a position to distill and release their own distilled spirits. We are thankful for your support over the...

276: How Brown-Forman Focuses on Sustainability with a Global Spirits Portfolio

Bourbon Lens

Our guest today is Andy Battjes, Brown-Forman’s Director of Global Environmental Sustainability. With responsibility over the company’s diverse, global spirits portfolio, Andy is a company leader who drives their sustainability initiatives around the globe. Through his work over the last 18+ years, Battjes has guided Brown-Forman in targeting areas within the supply chain and beyond where they can implement green initiatives. Brown-Forman (home to iconic brands such as Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Old Forester, Tequila Herradura, and Woodford Reserve) is working on making...

275: Keeper’s Heart and the Bright Future of O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co.

Bourbon Lens

Jake is joined by Brian Nation to talk about Keeper’s Heart Whiskey and catch up since his first appearance back in . Keeper’s Heart is a unique blend of Irish Whiskeys and American Whiskeys. Bringing together two unique distilling traditions, O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co. and Keeper’s Heart are led by industry legend, Master Distiller Brian Nation, previously of Jameson, Redbreast, and Midleton. We are thankful for your support over the last 5 years. We must give the biggest shoutout to our growing Patreon Community of supporters! As always, we'd appreciate it if you would take...

274: What is Your "Special Occasion" Bourbon?

Bourbon Lens

Jake and Scott are talking about bourbons that are perfect for special occasions. As we head into Derby season here in the Bluegrass State and the upcoming Kentucky Derby 150, we couldn't help but think that it would be a perfect event to crack open some special bottles. We discuss some advice on finding a special bottle to celebrate an occasion, event, or a special person. The best part is, a special occasion pour doesn’t always have to be priceless or unobtainable. Some of the best choices might be right under our noses. What’s one bottle that you are saving...

More Episodes

Bourbon Lens is excited to play host to a roundtable discussion featuring three organizations aimed at making bourbon accessible for all. We are joined by the Founders of Bourbon Women, Kentucky Black Bourbon Guild, and BIG Bourbon Club. Join us as we discuss some important topics as we seek to pull back the red velvet rope of the Bourbon Industry to ensure everyone feels welcome sharing a pour of America’s Native Spirit.

About the Panelists:

Peggy Noe Stevens - Founder of Bourbon Women Association

Peggy is a woman of many firsts. She founded PNSA and The Bourbon Women Association. She is the first woman in the world to receive the title of Master Bourbon Taster. Formerly of Brown-Forman, Peggy was their Global Event Planner for iconic brands such as Woodford Reserve. She brings her decades of experiential marketing and professional presence development to PNSA designing and building brand architecture for places and people. In 2019 Peggy was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame by the Kentucky Distillers Association and in 2020 she was inducted into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame.
To follow Peggy, check out: PeggyNoeStevens.com.

Robert Beatty - Founder of Kentucky Black Bourbon Guild

Robert Beatty is the founder of KBBG and a local Lexingtonian entrepreneur. During a summer 2018 tour that Mr. Beatty conducted to three distilleries and a museum in Bardstown KY, the conversation arose about African American and multicultural influence in the industry pre-prohibition. Through many conversations with industry gurus, history buffs and other bourbon societies, the decision was made to form an organization that will educate minority consumers about the spirit and properly acknowledge all of the ethnic groups that contributed to the robust industry it is today.
For more info on the KBBG, head to the Kentucky Black Bourbon Guild website.

Steve Higdon - Founder of BIG Bourbon Club

Steve is the Founder of BIG Bourbon Club, which was created as a spinoff his wildly successful TikTok account, Uncle Steve (@60secondbourbonreview) | TikTok. According to BIG Bourbon Club, the club will serve as your passport to the world of bourbon. The club seeks to expand the universe of bourbon lovers by giving access to bourbon how to’s, history, the personalities, barrel picks, distillery tours, tastings, and much more. Through their app, they have created the first virtual Bourbon Club where you can access everything, regardless of where you live. They aim to bring the world of bourbon to EVERYONE. EVERYONE is welcome. Bourbon should not be exclusive.
For more info on Steve, his explosive growth on TikTok, and BIG Bourbon, check out this feature on VinePair.com: ‘Uncle’ Steve Higdon: The Boomer Taking Over Bourbon TikTok.

Diversity and Inclusion in Bourbon Media Coverage:

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