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Craft Distillery

The Black Manhattan Project challenged members work at a grassroots level. “Grassroots — it’s the
to make Manhattans or variations with Mitcher’s story of my life,” she said. “Grassroots growth is
rye or bourbon and Branca amaro products, which, organic; it happens slowly. But it’s more genuine,
as Davis said, “was a marriage of two brands to and people are more invested.”
make the perfect cocktail.” The event featured a
professional bartending competition highlighting And spirits — be it whiskey or wine or beer — will
African American bartenders, a series of virtual always have an invested audience. “Every industry
masterclasses and a virtual tour of the Michter’s has diversity issues,” Davis said, “but the spirits
Distillery. Winners of the bartender competition industry cares. It’s in your face. It’s colorful as a
received cash prizes. BBS members also had an product; it’s engaging. With bourbon, it’s not who
opportunity to make their own renditions of a makes the best, but who you had it with. That’s
Manhattan and show off their DIY cocktail skills what makes that bottle your favorite.”
during the BBS-tenders Showcase. The rounds of
the competition are available on YouTube via the For Samara Davis and the Black Bourbon Society,
BBS Facebook page. “America’s Native Spirit” is, indeed, a universal lan-
guage that is championing diversity and inclusivity
To Davis, BBS is a win-win for everyone involved. in the spirits’ world.
“Brands have the opportunity to reach out to an
untapped audience and are learning how to appro- For more information on Black Bourbon Society,
priately connect with consumers of color in a gen- visit www.blackbourbonsociety.com
uine manner without pandering,” she said. “At the
same time, consumers are receiving one-on-one
attention and one-on-one experiences that enable
them to learn, love and develop loyalty in a way
that resonates more deeply.”

As Davis looks to the future, she hopes to expand
her community of African American bourbon con-
sumers and reach them through more online con-
versations with master distillers, distillery owners
and brand ambassadors who will tell their stories
and offer tastings. Regular features like Friday
Happy Hours, Teachable Tidbits and Whisky Weekly
have been big draws on the BBS Facebook page
during the pandemic. These events continually
attract hundreds of consumers who want to further
develop their appreciation of bourbon and share
fellowship with others. The biggest challenge, Davis
said, is keeping up with the demand for new events
and finding new and creative ways to push brand
messaging so that one doesn’t sound just like the
other. Davis, along with her husband and business
partner, Armond Davis, and a small cadre of human
relations personnel, is also going into “full action”
with Diversity Distilled.

“We had a serious racial reckoning last year,”
Davis told Beverage Master Magazine, “and the
brands are feeling very pressed to get this right.
They are incredibly open to what I’m saying to help
them become more inclusive.”

While Davis pursues her goals, she is focusing her

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