Starting a Bourbon Brand in 2024: Essential Tips and Resources

The excitement surrounding the quickly growing whiskey market continues to attract many aspiring entrepreneurs. According to Allied Market Research, the global whiskey market is projected to reach $86 billion by 2027, with an annual growth rate of nearly 5%. The thrill of starting your own brand and taking a slice of that pie begins with acquiring some industry-specific knowledge, context, and contacts.

Starting Your Own Bourbon Brand

Sourcing Bulk Whiskey Liquid

Owning a distillery isn't a prerequisite for launching your bourbon brand. Instead, you can conveniently obtain barreled whiskey from the open market. The task of sourcing bulk whiskey, essential for both launching and maintaining a brand, presents familiar challenges within the beverage alcohol industry.

Brindiamo Group, headquartered in Nashville, TN, is one of the largest bulk bourbon and whiskey suppliers in the world and can help you source liquid of any age on the open market. Sourcing bourbon via a broker and successfully utilizing online tools can greatly reduce your go-to-market timeline.

Aspiring bourbon aficionados might consider beginning their journey in Bardstown, KY, celebrated as the Bourbon Capital of the World. This region's limestone-rich soil and favorable climate for grain cultivation create an ideal setting for bourbon production. A key element of the production process is establishing the mash bill, which essentially acts as the recipe for the final product, detailing the grains utilized in production.

For a whiskey to be considered bourbon, it must contain at least 51% corn. The remaining 49% Commonly consists of some mixture of rye, malted barley, and/or wheat. Brindiamo can help you strategize your ingredients.

Collaborate with a Master Distiller

If you want greater influence over your product's flavor profile and mash bill, think about partnering with a Master Blender or Master Distiller. They can assist in identifying the processes and ingredients required to craft the distinct flavors you seek.This stage of defining your flavor profile is a crucial part of building your brand. If you are seeking guidance on this topic, you can contact our expert advisors at Brindiamo Group.

Bourbon Marketing and Branding

When starting your bourbon brand, don't forget to source glass bottles or another approved vessel for packaging your product. Remember to also consider closures, corks, labels, and other branding elements. Be sure to include a brand name, logo graphics, label design, and shipping box design to move forward successfully. Finally, you will need to devise a distribution strategy, which may combine going Direct to Consumer (DTC), as well as navigating varying regulations and distribution territories. Contact Brindiamo Group to help navigate the industry at any step of the process.

Bourbon Brand Advice for Beginners

Building your network by reaching out to alcohol marketing and sales experts, beverage venture capitalists, and sourcing specialists can speed up your time to market and help you build your brand. Reach out to Brindiamo Group today to learn more. Bottoms up to your success in joining the bourbon community of brands in 2024!