Go West, Whisky Investor...Westward, That Is (WhiskyCast Episode 724: September 13, 2018)

Portland's Westward American Single Malt from House Spirits is
the latest prize in the spree of acquisitions and investments by
major spirits brands in emerging brands. House Spirits announced
Wednesday that Diageo's in-house venture capital unit, Distill
Ventures, has acquired a minority stake in Westward as its first
public investment in a North American spirits brand. Distill
Ventures already holds stakes in Denmark's Stauning Whisky and
Starward Whisky from Australia as part of its portfolio. House
Spirits CEO and Westward co-founder Tom Mooney joins us on
WhiskyCast In-Depth for his first interview since the
announcement. In the news, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival is
underway with a looming possibility of fallout from the strike by
union workers at Four Roses Distillery. Union leaders plan to
have a presence at Bardstown's biggest party of the year, and
we'll have all the details. There's also an update on some of the
week's new whiskies, including the final whisky in Diageo's 2018
Special Releases Series, and we'll honor one of Bourbon's first
families as they celebrate a century of service.