Page 35 - Beverage Master_JuneJuly 2021

Craft Distillery

I was drinking at the time,” she said. “I love the
bourbon industry. It’s so unique. It’s ‘America’s
native spirit.’ It’s what we’re known for.”

To Davis, the logical way to make that connection
was social media. “I was producing bourbon-related
events in Oakland and building a following through
email, and then I had a chance to move to Atlanta.
I developed a new following here, so instead of
doing double duty in the two cities, I set up a
Facebook page to connect everyone.”

According to Davis, the page exploded. Friends
invited friends, and their friends invited their
friends. Today, the page boasts a dynamic mem-
bership that shares weekly online tastings, happy
hours, educational seminars and a growing commu-
nity of friendships.

One key to the success of BBS is the partnership
with bourbon distillers that Davis has created to
bring the two groups together. “By working with
brands, we provide genuine connections for them
to engage with Black consumers and, at the same
time, cultivate and educate our community,” she
said.

In the past, BBS has partnered with brands includ-
ing Maker’s Mark, Four Roses, Heaven Hill and Jim
Beam, to name a few. Brands actively participate
with BBS to plan events, send brand reps or multi-
cultural experts to cities for local programs and, in
the case of national events, provide people from
national leadership to help create exclusive pro-
grams. “We work hand in hand to cultivate audi-
ences so they can experience the brand’s portfolio
and expression of their products in a unique way,”
Davis said.

Recently, the BBS held a Valentine’s Day pairing
dinner at the Atlanta Intercontinental Hotel in
cooperation with Woodford Reserve to feature the
distillery’s Double Oaked Bourbon. The evening, the
BBS’s first in-person event since the pandemic, was
fashioned as a “date night” featuring a five-course
pairing dinner, with each couple having their own
table and even a cocktail kit where attendees could
create their own concoction. “This was just one of
the many examples of events we’ve had,” Davis
said. “It was really well-received.”

BBS offers a premium membership that includes
access to enriched content on the Facebook page,

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