Black Bourbon Enthusiasts Find Community in the Black Bourbon Society
Samara Davis is Creating Change in the Spirit Space
Black bourbon enthusiasts are claiming their space and bringing their own chairs to the table. As a whiskey lover myself I have to tell you, if you aren’t familiar with the Black Bourbon Society you should be. The Black Bourbon Society, or BBS, fills a gap where there is a lack of engagement with bourbon consumers of color.
Samara Davis started out running her own event planning company. As she gradually began adding bourbon to her wine rotation, she became more and more intrigued about the nuances of bourbon. After many collaborations in the event space Samara recognized that many brands were missing out on a key demographic. Those in the Black community who are well established in their careers, and many with disposable income, are not always considered in the spirit space. I have to say that I have noticed the image in an ad of a person pouring a neat glass of whiskey often does not look like me, though I am whiskey fan, and I prefer a neat pour. This is not exclusive to the spirits industry, the lack of diverse decision makers has been an ongoing conversation.
Inspired by the refreshing taste of summer and the welcoming cool of watermelon. Cheers!
As an industry consumer and facilitator, Samara started BBS, hosting educational excursions, building brand partnerships, and curating events centered around bourbon. The foundation of BBS is supported by a Facebook group of over 23k members, myself and my husband are two of those members.
The key to connecting with BBS members in a meaningful way is to actively engage the community. One of the largest events for the BBS members is the annual Bourbon Boule, BBS holds in-person and virtual events throughout the year. The most recent event, the Open Door Tour, is a partnership between BBS and Jim Beam to visit five cities across the country, highlighting Black owned bars and restaurants. This celebration of “Black excellence through culture, cocktails and cuisine” has been highly successful, as evidenced by all of the sold out event dates.
This year BBS is celebrating a 5 year anniversary and will continue to celebrate for the entire year. A part of that celebration is the creation of a Private Selection with Maker’s Mark. Though this anniversary pick marks a special occasion, it is not the first bottle with the BBS touch. The first BBS Maker’s Mark Private Select bottle won Double Gold Custom-Finished Bourbon at the 19th Annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Samara has built a relationship with the brand over the years and collaborated on several events. That relationship is what brought about the opportunities for BBS to create Private Selections.
“Pursue your purpose confidently. Don’t be afraid to go after it.”
Samara Davis
With the success and impact of BBS, Samara and her husband Armond Davis founded Diversity Distilled. They noticed an obvious need for more diversity and inclusion in the spirit space and committed to focus on supporting the increase of diverse talent in leadership. Diversity Distilled is a bottom-up and top-down approach to “advise, advocate and craft unique strategies to address the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of brands — with a focus on the world of distilled spirits, packaged beverages and the alcohol and service industries.”
According to Neilsen Black Americans spend over 1 trillion dollars a year. Being a part of a neglected target market, I can attest that many Black Americans like nice things, can afford nice things, and buy nice things. Though we cannot buy things we do not know exist. The Black community are not only consumers, but also influencers. Brands must recognize the smart move, the best, and the only move for growth is to include those customers who have traditionally been ignored in marketing plans going forward. In 2019, Adobe conducted a research report of more than 2,000 consumers. Their results showed that 66% of African-Americans feel their ethnicity is portrayed stereotypically in advertisements. With groups like BBS I am hopeful that brands and the Black community will continue to form bonds, build relationships, and create authentic content that speaks to the community.
Celebrate 30 days of Bourbon in September with BBS. If you’re a bourbon or whiskey enthusiast join the Facebook group, and with the premium membership you receive a wide variety of perks, including first notice about the next BBS Private Selection. BBS has ambassadors across the country. The Black Bourbon Society has let the world in on the not so secret secret that the Black community appreciates fine whiskeys and bourbons just like everyone else. Be a part of building the community and changing the narrative.
Discover more from Flights and Foods
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
5,048 Comments
sleep lean review
Sleep Lean is a natural supplement designed to improve sleep quality and aid weight loss while you sleep.
lk21
Thank you for another great article. The place else may just anyone get that kind of info in such a perfect method of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I’m on the search for such info.
lk21
I like this web site very much, Its a real nice billet to read and find info .
lipovive supplementc
Lipovive acts on the metabolism, burning fat, reducing appetite, and providing more energy.
private server top
Hey! Quick question that’s totally off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My web site looks weird when viewing from my iphone4. I’m trying to find a theme or plugin that might be able to correct this issue. If you have any recommendations, please share. Many thanks!
nextogel
I and also my buddies were following the great suggestions located on the website and so unexpectedly came up with an awful suspicion I never thanked you for those techniques. All of the guys ended up excited to study them and have in effect in truth been tapping into those things. We appreciate you being quite helpful and also for making a decision on such essential subject areas millions of individuals are really desirous to know about. My honest apologies for not expressing appreciation to you earlier.
private servers for games
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say fantastic blog!
pink salt recipe
The Pink Salt Trick is a minimalist but effective morning routine: Just drink a glass of lukewarm water mixed with a pinch of Himalayan pink salt as soon as you wake up.
natural alternative to botox
This really answered my problem, thank you!
pink salt trick for weight loss
The Pink Salt Trick is a minimalist but effective morning routine: Just drink a glass of lukewarm water mixed with a pinch of Himalayan pink salt as soon as you wake up.
automação empresarial
It’s hard to find knowledgeable people on this topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
Cu Nu face cream
I appreciate, cause I found exactly what I was looking for. You’ve ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye
nextogel
Very interesting information!Perfect just what I was looking for!
Wayne Cheyne
Wayne Cheyne
rateio oab 2a fase
Some genuinely nice and useful information on this website, also I believe the design has got excellent features.
conab analista administracao
I got what you intend,saved to favorites, very decent site.
pestoto login
Very interesting info!Perfect just what I was searching for!
rateio dpe am analista
I got what you intend, thankyou for posting.Woh I am glad to find this website through google.
pink salt trick recipe
The Pink Salt Trick is a minimalist but effective morning routine: Just drink a glass of lukewarm water mixed with a pinch of Himalayan pink salt as soon as you wake up.
zoritoler imol
You got a very good website, Sword lily I observed it through yahoo.