The Black Bourbon Society Offers Community and Camaraderie to Whiskey Lovers

There’s a chill in the air, the night begins earlier, and autumn approaches. This is the time of year for波旁酒。

棕色烈酒全年都令人愉快，但是关于秋天的褪色叶子有一些东西，这让这更加敦促立即想到。如果你想念你最喜欢的邻里酒吧的睡觉波旁酒吧，你仍然可以在线找到社区和伴侣作为一个成员黑色波旁协会。

BBS是一家集俱乐部，以弥合行业与业余波尔孔爱好者之间的差距。首席波旁爱好者Samara B. Davis2016年创立了该集团，帮助在她自己的棕色精神奉献者中传播知识。随着活动规划和经验营销的背景，她意识到缺乏直接的消费者营销，以便在高档精神产业中朝着黑人造成的。

She noticed that the industry was plagued with racial stereotypes and biases in their marketing outreach, as well as a lack of diversity in the board rooms where decisions were made. She noticed the erasure of the significant historical contributions of Black people to the bourbon industry. She saw a void that needed to be filled. So, she created a group where Black bourbon enthusiasts could gather to celebrate, taste, and learn.

From the onset, the Black Bourbon Society gained visibility from their events, creating the kind of annual celebrations that members were willing to travel for. Their signature affair, the Bourbon Boule, brings together bourbon brands, mixologists, and enthusiasts. In 2018, the event hosted 50 people in New Orleans, and in 2019, the number jumped to 128. This year’s Bourbon Boule was planned to be bigger and better and was already in the works when the world stopped. Now, it will take place online from September 25th to 27th. Like everyone else, the Black Bourbon Society has had to pivot.

“We created a society where folks connect and become friends, we have members who travel to meet up. And now we are digital creators, at this point,” said Davis, who is a经过认证的执行波兹管家and co-hosts a weekly podcast with her life partner, Armond Davis, calledBonded in Bourbon。“当我们在3月发生的情况发生时，随着地理庇护和检疫，我们的意图成为让灵魂与烈酒相关。我们需要人类互动。我们需要Camaraderie和Hums，然后出去看看人们。“

People seeking the camaraderie that bars provide can find a close approximation online. The initiative and community-based sensibility of the Black Bourbon Society has managed to translate well during the era of COVID-19; they have successfully pivoted from in-person to virtual events, keeping their members happy with bar-side chats and virtual happy hours.

“We really want to keep our members engaged, so we’re creating an online space that feels comfortable and natural, where we can relax amongst ourselves and not talk about politics or job losses,” said Davis. “We have actually tripled in size since the quarantine began.”

Right now, the Society has around 19,000 members. They’re seeking ambassadors in major cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans, Louisville, and Los Angeles. Membership has its privileges for the gamut of participants, from dyed in the wool connoisseurs to newbies looking to learn more about brown spirits in general.

“There is constant education and learning in our group,” said Davis. “We’ve got four years of content online to help you begin your bourbon journey.”

黑色波旁协会使用它website要突出卡斯莫斯克斯，分享鸡尾酒食谱，便于带来自己的波旁快乐时光。成员可以从食谱中找到从食谱到威士忌写作和打开字母to the liquor executive powers that be, urging transformation throughout the industry and outspoken support for inclusivity and diversity beyond black squares on social media.

总而言之, the society is striving to provide a sense of community that might be the next best thing to going to a bar right now.

Davis realizes this will have to be a long-term strategy to survive, with no viable vaccine in sight. She also recognizes that her work with BBS is just the beginning. Coming fresh off a summer with widespread protests against racism and police brutality, and not enough change in bourbon-producing cities like Louisville, she recognizes the power and need for a group like the one she’s created.

“As far as most brands are concerned, they may not be able to change the entire landscape, but they know what’s right," said Davis. "What we really want now is to see diverse leaders."

现在她创造了多样性蒸馏是一个非营利组织，致力于解决精神业务中的耀眼的不公平。“我们将与多样性蒸馏的工作非常重要，”她说。“在推动多样性和包容方面，我们必须拿警棍并与之运行。”