Behind the Pursuit: From Bourbon to Brand

Pursuit United Private Selection is here. We previously talked with Kenny about turning the warehouse into a functioning distillery, but now that we’re up and running it is time to get liquid to lips. On today’s episode both Kenny and Ryan are on discussing what the PUPS program looks like for stores and groups as well as in-person experiences and what you may expect.  We hit on: What was the gene...

Ryan is out living la vida loca again, so Brian sits down with Kenny to discuss the warehouse/studio now being a licensed distillery, and the road it took to get the permitting and licenses over the last year.  We hit on: What were the reasons for having the licensed distillery/bottling location, as an NDP, outside of solely the downtown location we previously announced?  What did it take to engin...

Fresh off the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, Kentucky and Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville, Kentucky, Ryan and Kenny break down their experiences at the shows this year, what was different about last year, and what they hope for in 2024. We hit on: In what ways did you see brands stand out from the crowd at Kentucky Bourbon Festival? How was the reception at the festival this year compared...

While we are usually talking all things Pursuit Spirits or the backstage of the business, today we are taking a rare opportunity to taste through this year’s Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch, and each of the 4 components that make it up, to see if we can peel back a bit of Brent Elliott’s brain on how he put together this year’s annual bottling. Aged 12-25 years old, and bottled at 108 proof...

There can be a lot of confusion when it comes to the term 'NDP' or Non-Distilling Producer and a producer who makes contract distilling purchases. Both are, in essence, buying whiskey instead of making whiskey, but what other factors are at play to separate these two?  We hit on: What does the sourced market inventory pool generally look like? What is the largest hurdle for brands at the mercy of...

Our most recent press release revealed to the public the plans to put a physical location and experience for Bourbon Pursuit and Pursuit Spirits in the heart of downtown Louisville, Kentucky. Today, the guys open up about the plans for the location, some of the challenges so far, and challenges coming up in the foreseeable future.  We hit on: What led to the opportunity for a physical space for Pu...

As Kenny takes the night off, we take the opportunity to pick Ryan's brain about blending. Where has the industry focused historically, and where is it now? How does Ryan's own philosophy fit into that? We hit on: Ryan's perception as a consumer of the historical way others thought about blending. What is the perceived philosophy of blending in our current state of whiskey? Are small-batch blends...

Ryan is back from Redneck Riviera and his mind is burning wondering how or if whiskey brands can break into a lifestyle brand like we’ve seen brands like Yeti, High Noon, Stanley, etc. Is there still a place today for newer brands to break into that, or has Jack Daniels taken the only spot there is? We hit on: How do brands today make people feel? Is Pappy simply a status symbol, or a lifestyle? ...

Do people really care if you have the #1 bourbon podcast in the world, or do they just want a really good bourbon? There is no denying that after months of the ambassador program it is still a great tool to spread the word of the brand. The blueprint, however, is maybe a bit different than it initially was in our heads. Through various ambassador welcome calls, emails, and sessions, we and the amb...

As both the Bourbon Pursuit Podcast and Pursuit Spirits continue to grow in their own ways as brands, surely it would come at a crossroads of time management. While there is only one Kenny and one Ryan, how do you balance all the requirements for the two growing paths and still manage other work and family? We hit on: While the Bourbon Pursuit Podcast becomes more well oiled in the processes or sy...

What exactly does sell-through look like, what’s the entire process chain? We hear often that anything you want to do you need to do at least a year in advance, but why exactly is that? Today on the episode we dive into the process.  We hit on: What does the timeline look like post product development?  What does being on focus mean and what does it do for you? Does the timeline chain change if yo...

Digital content for spirit brands can be tricky - with the three tier system it can be difficult to funnel people through to a conversion in the same way other industries can. Are we stuck in the top of the funnel? Are we in an echo chamber of content creation? In the end - are brands' main goal to lead to sales or to grow reach from the brand, and by nature of growth, bring more attention (thus h...

We had so many of you respond to the last episode "Does The Pursuit Concept Matter?" and while it was fresh in our minds we wanted to put out a sincere thank you and follow up to some of the feedback and responses that came in. We hit on: What were some of the larger takeaways from the feedback after the previous episode? Did any of the responses challenge you all? As the brand grows and gets some...

"Your price is too high." "No one knows who you are." "The story doesn’t align." These are just a few lines often brought up when trying to convey the concept of Pursuit Spirits. The process of “uniting” is anything but inexpensive, and today on the show we dive deeper into if the concept as it was initially conceived matters to the consumer, or if we put too much thought into the concept when it...

How do brands keep growing customers as fans, or connect them deeper to the brand after the point of sale? Today we talk about how some other brands have found successful touch points, but with the advances in technology are there more outlets at our disposal to tap into? We hit on: In-person and zoom tastings have been fantastic, but not widely scalable. Is there a way to use AI, the Metaverse, Q...

The bourbon industry has this fascinating thing where “The Big Six” can hold such a monopoly of the industry - regardless of price category, and regardless of consumer profile. Is there room for other players to continue to penetrate the market, and how do they break the standard “value” scale that is so often set by Big Bourbon?  We hit on: What draws a consumer to Big Bourbon over a similar cost...

We all know what it's like - you walk into a store and see something you are curious about, but without a glowing recommendation from a trusted source or the ability to try it first you likely aren't going to make the blind purchase. On today's topic we dive into the recently launched ambassador program. With so many folks who know the Pursuit story over the last few years of the Bourbon Pursuit P...

Having a variety of SKUs or choices in a brand’s portfolio is a great thing, right? You can reach a multitude of customers with multiple entry points or stepping blocks for them to learn more about you. However, the biggest challenges folks don’t really see come after the product development: continuously communicating with distributors why a new SKU should be carried, shelf space competition, ong...

Fresh off of his graduation from Moonshine U, Ryan walks us through some of his thoughts on what he learned about the distillation process. We open up the dialogue on still types, craft distilleries, and in an era where anyone can seemingly make anything how you actually determine what you like.  We hit on: Is the Moonshine University program industry focused, or can general consumers able to go t...

What does it mean to develop and find your brand strategy and communication? Not just telling the story of your brand, while important and very much connected, but the development and execution of how you talk and look.  We hit on: How do you get the essence of who is behind the label, into the label? Into the story? Into the marketing?  How do you overcome the hurdles of existing in limited marke...

We are all well aware of how legacy brands get 'budget' bourbons on the shelves seemingly easily, but we are simultaneously seeing the effects of premiumization all across the board. As it gets more costly to actually get a bottle into the consumer's hands, how does a company decide where to enter the market? Once they are in the market, at what point to you have to back out? On today's episode we...

2022 was a wild ride for us. We began Behind the Pursuit for starters, so thank you for a successful first year as we go behind the scenes starting this whiskey brand. Not only that, but there was a lot of learning and pivoting for the guys through the year. Today we recap 2022, some things we learned through the months, and what we look forward in as the company continues the momentum in 2023 and...

We are proud to announce the addition of the Oak Collection to the Pursuit Spirits lineup - an ongoing series of curated whiskey blends and barrel finishes that provide an exploration of taste and constant innovation.  We talked back on Episode 13 about finished whiskey as we began the R&D process, and here we are with the first iteration of Bourbon Oak Collection and Rye Oak Collection. Today, we...

Pursuit Spirits recently developed a $6 million dollar financial plan for the next five years of bourbon and rye whiskey barrel purchases, but what exactly does that mean and how exactly does that play out? While we've previously talked about financial modeling, scale, and the constraints on inventory, today we dive into exactly what this financial plan allows the team to do, and focus on over the...

We're back in the Bluegrass State, and reflecting on all the stops from the 2022 Pursuit Road Trip. How was the reception, what were the key takeaways for the guys, and how do we improve going into 2023? We hit on: In what ways did you see brands stand out from the crowd at Kentucky Bourbon Festival? During the store visits, was a large part of the draw due to Bourbon Pursuit or general intrigue o...