The whiskey manufacturing industry has always been dominated by certain well-known and already established brands that are associated with regions of historical significance. However, several black-owned whiskey brands are breaking the stereotypes. These brands are not only leaving their mark in the industry but are also gaining significant customer loyalty. If you are someone who wants to know more about the best whiskey brands that have emerged from the black community, the following article is for you. It brings you a detailed list of the top 10 black-owned whiskey brands.
Top 10 Black-Owned Whiskey Brands
1. Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey
Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is one of the top black-owned whiskey brands, which was founded and owned by Fawn Weaver. It is named in honor of Nathan “Nearest” Green, who was the first-known African American master distiller. The brand reached the 100 million mark in sales back in October 2022. It is now considered one of the fastest-growing American Whiskey brands in American history. It is now available across 50 states and 12 countries.
Also read: Top 10 American Whiskey Brands: A Guide to the Best in the USA
2. Brough Brothers Bourbon
Brough Brothers Bourbon is another one of the famous whiskey brands that is widely known as Kentucky’s first African-American-owned distillery. It was founded by Victor, Bryson, and Christian Yarbrough, who are three brothers belonging to Louisville, Kentucky. Victor Yarbrough serves as the CEO of the company, while Bryson Yarbrough serves as the COO, and Christian Yarbrough serves as the CMO. Its 82-proof bourbon was launched back in 2021 and was made available in 25 states.
3. Fresh Bourbon
Fresh Bourbon is also a black-owned whiskey brand that was first founded by Sean and Tia Edwards. It is also recognised as one of the African-American-owned bourbons since the slavery era. The whiskey is available for sale at many well-known retailers like Total Wine & More. They have also established tasting rooms in downtown Lexington, offering a direct-to-consumer sales channel for the brand.
4. Old Hillside Bourbon Company
Old Hillside Bourbon Company is also one of the black as well as veteran-owned brands. It came into existence because of four childhood friends named Jesse Carpenter, Brian Burton, Courtney Tucker, and Emmanuel Waters. The “Old Hillside” mentioned in the name of the brand is a tribute to one of the oldest black high schools, Hillside High School. It is known for offering non-chilled as well as filtered bourbon whiskey products.
5. SirDavis American Whiskey
SirDavis American Whiskey is also one of the fastest emerging whiskey brands, which is owned by the globally famous 35-time Grammy winner Beyoncé. She launched the brand in partnership with Moët Hennessy and named the brand in honor of her great-grandfather, Davis Hogue. It reportedly received an overwhelming amount of pre-orders and is available in major countries like the UK. Going ahead with Moët Hennessy’s strategy for Travel Retail Asia Pacific, its availability was expanded to Changi Airport in Singapore.
6. Greenwood Whiskey
Greenwood Whiskey is another one of the black-owned whiskey brands that came into existence because of Kweillin Gordon, Che Bailey, Sheldon Johns-Harris, and James Roach. Its name is also a tribute to the historic Greenwood district neighborhood located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Out of the four founders, Kweillin Gordon is serving as the CEO of the company. According to the reports, it is available in a total of 40 states. It was featured in various publications like Forbes and Black Enterprise while also earning various awards.
Also read: Top 10 Most Popular Vodka Brands in the World
7. Edmond’s Honor Straight Bourbon
Edmond’s Honor Straight Bourbon was founded by a black-owned business named Pronghorn. The company also has a black distiller named Tracie Franklin. A portion of its earnings is given to charity for black entrepreneurs. It is currently available in various states of the US, including Georgia, New Jersey, and Florida. As per the reports, the company is also planning to expand its availability to various other states across America.
8. Guidance Whiskey
Guidance Whiskey is also one of the famous black-owned whiskey brands, which came into existence back in 2018 because of Jason Ridgel. It is made available in over 44 states across the US and has witnessed significant growth in revenue in the first two years. The company reportedly managed to raise a total of $120,000 through a crowdfunding campaign. It is known for offering a wide range of whiskey experiences.
9. Abisola Whiskey
Abisola is another one of the black woman-owned whiskey brands, which owes its existence to Abisola Abidemi. The founder of the brand aimed at creating a whiskey that focuses on celebrating modern drinkers of whiskey. It is reportedly present on the shelves of around 15 stores in various states across the US, including New York, Florida, and California. The brand is available at various retailers like Total Wine & More.
Also read: Top 10 Brands and Their Greatest Products
10. Den of Thieves
Den of Thieves is another one of the black-owned whiskey brands that owes its existence to the mind of Jason Armstrong. It is famous for offering straight bourbon whiskey along with flavored variations like ginger-vanilla and chocolate. The brand is distributed to a total of 6 markets, which also include the New York tri-state area, along with other states like Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Chicago.
