Behind the Pursuit: From Bourbon to Brand

Should people be tasting for a story, or tasting for the value? Today on the show we dive into an interesting topic on the teetering of media samples and content creators/influencers who receive them, both on the Bourbon Pursuit side as well as the Pursuit Spirits side.  We hit on: How did you decide you wanted to present reviews of media samples to your audience? What are the ethics of reviewing...

How do companies create and maintain brand loyalty? A great question from listener and supporter Steve built off the topic a few episodes back on Brand Recognition, what does the relationship today look like between consumers and brands? Are there ways to build brand loyalty, and are there ways to lose it? We hit on: How do companies (bourbon and otherwise) create and maintain brand loyalty? What...

“I think the best way to learn about something is to think about it and write about it and try and tell other people about it because it kind of helps you gauge your own understanding.” We are in for a treat with today's guest. Some of you know him as T8ke, some of you know him from his work at Whiskeyraiders.com or the Weekly Whiskey show on Youtube - others know him from the popular /r/bourbon o...

Much like the last episode with Ryan, today we sit down with Kenny and discuss his background in tech, his passion for data-logging, and how he sees those primary functions play out and the value they hold in both Bourbon Pursuit and Pursuit Spirits.  We hit on: The Pursuit Road Trip is on! Check out our social feeds or website for our stop locations. What does a week in the life of Kenny look lik...

We have a refreshing episode today where we sit down with Ryan and discuss juggling multiple jobs, what you gain or learn in the process of doing so, and balancing it all with life’s rhythms.  Today we also tasted Pursuit Series 051 - available now at https://seelbachs.com/search?q=pursuit+series We hit on: What does a week in the life of Ryan look like? Do you find it common with others you know...

Does knowing the source matter? Where the product in the bottle is distilled, the mashbills, the percentages of this grain and that grain, this component or that component… why is the whiskey industry always clamoring for all the details? Can we be over-transparent? Is this the natural evolution?  We hit on: Does knowing the source today matter as much as knowing the source 5 years ago? 10 years a...

Here we are in 2022. Are customers as swayed by the wording on the bottle as they are by the complete package of design, brand notoriety, accolades, if it’s in the “top shelf” section of a store, or other factors at play when making a decision of what to buy?  We hit on: The gravitation towards non-Kentucky, state-specific Straight Bourbon Whiskies Stigma dissipating around blended products Demogr...

Bourbon Tourism is alive and active, but what is the next great generation of tourism? Today on the podcast we quickly go over the evolution we’ve seen and discuss hypotheticals to the future or what exactly we think it is that draws people in.  We’d love to hear from you! What visitor experiences have you enjoyed, or what things do you wish were more readily available for a more immersive experie...

We’re on the onset of our next bottling date, and today we’re talking about the current status of cash flow needs, bottling partners, moving into new markets and more. In a constantly moving world, how do you pivot in real-time to the constant changes? For questions or topic requests on upcoming episodes, email us at podcast@pursuitspirits.com.

Fresh off the heels of the first Pursuit Palooza weekend, we are recapping the experience and what it was like to start building up brand loyalty in a very tangible form. We hit on: What does it mean for you to host an event like this for the people who have supported you? What were people's impressions of being able to break down the components of United individually and how they work together to...

What does it look like to R&D for a finished whiskey? In this episode, we dive into the minds of Kenny and Ryan as they comb through their barrel stock options and discuss their possible entry in finished whiskey experimentations. We hit on: As a small company, how do you create a product that compliments, not take away, from your base products? How do you manage stock to try something new for the...

Not every brand is in the position to be on every shelf in every store in every market. The marketing that comes from spirits competitions can be one of those things that can catch the right eyes to give your brand a chance - be it the whiskey media, whiskey stores around new markets, or distributors. In today’s episode we discuss the marketing engine that is: spirits competitions. We hit on: What...

‘You’re at the mercy of so many moving points you just don’t realize - I’m not a control freak, but there’s so much out of your control you just can’t wrap your head around.’ Today we have a fascinating conversation with the guys about their recent experiences with glass and bottling for their products.  We hit on: Digging from multiple suppliers to find quantities needed. Supply chain issues face...

Today we take a walk down memory lane while Kenny and Ryan recount their first Pursuit Series single barrel, some of their favorite ones, and special moments along the way. We hit on: What are the Pursuit Series Episodes? 001 - The start of it all - can it beat Henry McKenna 10? 002 - Where Kenny got his ‘sweet oak’ nickname. 010 - The first venture outside the broker and its impact on the future...

How do you grow when you have limited reach or distribution? What avenues do you pursue with your marketing dollars? How do you pivot from one customer base to a different one? Today, we talk all about brand recognition.  We hit on: How do you get in front of an audience and extend marketing reach? Do you still see the importance of localized liquor stores and word-of-mouth marketing? Do you physi...

“You need money for today, but you also need money for tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow… and tomorrow… for the next 10 years.” In this episode, we discuss what has it taken to get the brand to where it is today, and what is forecasted to take the brand even further. We hit on: Figuring out the level of scale you are going after The conversations to reach the next scale point Constraints on inv...

There is a lot of money passing hands in the whiskey industry these days - contract distiller schedules are filling up, sourced barrels are drying up, expansion is booming - so what does that mean for the direction of the industry as we see it today?  We hit on: Where do you think the industry is going? Lack of available older stock Premiumization Over-saturation of investor barrels and brand posi...

“I think that’s probably one of the most perplexing things that perhaps people that are new to bourbon just don’t realize… and that’s what creates a lot of variability, it creates some excitement for enthusiasts as well because you get a chance to try a lot of different things.” Humans love stories, there’s a connection. Everything that drives our behavior is stories and the stories we tell oursel...

We all know that people and events have an impact on us and help shape the trajectory to where we are today. Today on the podcast, we break down this topic with the guys and see what has influenced them.  Who played a role in who you are today? Who has worked behind the scenes, a bit less on the Bourbon Pursuit side but more in pursuing Pursuit Spirits forward? Has anything been said to you or are...

“In this new modern era of whiskey, I think we’re maybe one of the only ones that have come out with a blend that’s going to be like this.” Today's episode is a deep dive into the recently released Pursuit United Rye, and what pieces were learned from the past product releases that aided in its success. What made you all decide to roll out a rye whiskey? What is the inception of the partners you’v...

Every detail along the way has a trickle-down effect, and today the guys are unpacking some of the frustrations they’ve worked through from early on to day-to-day today.  Budgeting for the entering the industry - and the risk involved  The tiny issues in the little details from licensing to packaging Growing pains in the early stages of shipping and fulfillment  What does the reach do each time ba...

“It’s cool to put down and put out 10,000 bottles, but how do you do 100,000? How do you scale that and how do you make it economically feasible for yourself?” Today the guys dive into their decision to find distilling partners, what went into landing on who they worked with, and the struggles that others in similar shoes face when it comes to market availability. What are you looking for when dec...

We are excited to kick off Behind the Pursuit, a show where we pull back the curtain on what it takes to go from bourbon drinker, to bourbon media, to bourbon brand. Today, we start from the beginning.  Introduction of Ryan and Kenny and the inception of Bourbon Pursuit The beginnings of the Pursuit Episodes  How do the single barrel experiences differ from Bourbon Pursuit single barrel picks and...

Take part in a journey to build a bourbon brand. Brian Beyke sits down with the founders of the top whiskey podcast, Kenny and Ryan of Bourbon Pursuit, to figure out what it takes to bring their whiskey label to life. Experience the highs, lows, and everything in between from investments, filling barrels, and shipping bottles. Special episodes will feature in-depth tasting notes for single barrel...