Calls for Change & Diversity in the Whisky Community

Recent protests over racism and police brutality against
African-Americans have led to greater calls for diversity
throughout American society, and the whisky industry is no
exception. American whiskey’s history with diversity has not been
a good one, going all the way back to the pre-Civil War era when
many distilleries were run with enslaved labor – including the
one owned by George Washington after his presidency. We’ll have
details on several initiatives announced this week that focus on
improving diversity and inclusion within the whisky industry,
including plans for the Nearest Green School of Distilling at
Tennessee’s Motlow State Community College that had been in the
works for the past year. We’ll also talk with Black Bourbon
Society founder Samara Rivers, who has just launched Diversity
Distilled – with a goal of helping whisky companies recruit and
develop African-American talent. We’ll also have the latest on
Covid-19’s impact, including the postponement of this fall’s
Kentucky Bourbon Festival and plans to gradually reopen pubs in
the UK.