UNCLE NEAREST WHISKEY CBS PROFESSIONAL

As I was playing, I was involved in a lot of different businesses. So, what got you involved in the spirits industry?

UNCLE NEAREST WHISKEY CBS PROFESSIONAL

You used to play professional basketball. We spoke to Henderson about how he transitioned from a career in basketball to spirits, Birdie Brown, and what he hopes to achieve through his company by way of diversity. But they’re also like, ‘How can we also help advance diversity for other people or other companies trying to come up as well?’ There’s room for all of us and we can help each other, so that’s what I’m hoping to see.” Inspired by what Fawn Weaver and Uncle Nearest have done with regards to representation and inclusivity in spirits, Henderson says: “They’re killing it. By the end of this year, Henderson also plans to release another expression as part of Birdie Brown Plain Hooch’s portfolio. The influence behind the brand is based on the story of the first African American cocktail book, released in 1917 - The Ideal Bartender by Tom Bullock. Henderson’s company is also in the process of releasing a gin and a flavored bourbon that will come out under their Tom Bullock’s line.

As a mixer, it really shines - switch out your favorite bourbon for this hooch and you’ve got a new riff on the classic old fashioned. The toasted cereal palate and hot, lingering finish make for an enjoyable pour all on its own (though it might run a little hot for an unseasoned drinker). It’s comprised of wheat, oats, and barley. Inspired by a Black woman homesteader of the 1800s, Birdie Brown is a Montana-made unaged whiskey (sourced from Dry Hills Distillery, in Bozeman). HSG focuses on Black history in the spirits industry, beginning with Birdie Brown Plain Hooch - which launched April 2020. We can learn this stuff as well as anybody.” I want to see more diversity in everything. “I really am trying to think about what I’m doing, because my mission is to diversify the box from the drinks we serve, the bottles you see on the shelves, the owners, the workers, the bartenders, to the distributors selling. “I’m trying to be intentional about trying to give African Americans opportunities in this industry,” he says. His focus is on supporting marginalized voices. Regardless of the media attention, though, it certainly seems like Henderson is coming at the industry with the right intentions. We’re finally starting to see a spotlight shone on Black-owned distilleries and blenders and Henderson Spirits Group (HSG), founded by former NBA player and Indiana University legend Alan Henderson, hopes to be next in line for some love. Thanks to award-darling Uncle Nearest (and its superhero founder, Fawn Weaver) and upstart brands like Brough Brothers Bourbon, the white-driven narrative of American whiskey is beginning to shift. Over the past half-decade, American whiskey has seen a serious reckoning with regards to the erasure of marginalized groups from its history - especially the enslaved Black men and women who helped build the spirit’s foundations.

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