Exclusive interview: Brother's Bond Bourbon on entering TR, leveraging social media and blending with a purpose

Speaking on a video call ahead of its official partnership announcement with Gebr. Heinemann, you could keenly sense through the screen the long nights, countless blends, years of friendship and stories from around the kitchen sink that shaped what Brother’s Bond Bourbon is today. Since day one it has been a labor of love. It is not often that Global Travel Retail Magazine has the opportunity to speak openly with the founders of a spirits company — never mind ones that are fully involved in the distilling process of a bourbon that is rooted in on-screen storytelling.

Born from a genuine friendship that extended beyond the screen, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, co-stars on The Vampire Diaries, formed a real-life bond based on a love of bourbon. With one purpose: to bring people together through quality and connection, the two teamed up with Vincent Hanna, Co-founder & CEO of the company, to divide and conquer the world of whiskey.

The next step

Since its debut in 2021, Brother’s Bond Bourbon has become one of the fastest-growing ultra-premium bourbons in the United States and one of the most followed spirits brands on social media. Taking on the role of self-taught Blending Master, it is clear that Somerhalder is curious by nature, understands the evolving preferences of the modern consumer and is passionate about the making of the product, as well as the brand’s triple bottom line: people, planet and profit. After more than one year of blending in his kitchen at home, together with Wesley, Somerhalder came up with the two core foundational tenets of their liquid: immediate approachability and complexity.

“Our expansion into global travel retail is a natural next step — not just a commercial move, but a strategic opportunity to foster deeper emotional connections. This channel offers us a unique space to share our story with international consumers, offering more than a product — offering a moment of meaning. Our goal is to create discovery-driven, authentic experiences that resonate with travelers seeking purpose, craft and sustainability,” explains Hanna.

Having established itself as a credible whiskey in the U.S., Brother’s Bond Bourbon is ready to connect with its following outside of the United States and excited about the potential of emerging markets in travel retail. Plus, who doesn’t love a taste of nostalgia? Literally.

Travel retail presence

Brother’s Bond Bourbon is set to launch in select European airports and on premium cruise lines later this year, following the start of its U.S. rollout. Described as smooth, complex and ideal for all occasions, the brand’s travel retail range will feature its flagship Straight Bourbon Whiskey, alongside more elevated offerings such as its 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond and American Blended Rye. Additionally, the award-winning collection will include a limited-edition expression made with regeneratively grown grain.

According to the team, to ensure standout shelf presence, the company is introducing refined global packaging in 2025, combining modern aesthetics with storytelling cues. The company is also exploring channel exclusive formats and premium gifting bundles with the aim to elevate collectability and engage shoppers beyond the bottle.

When asked how Brother’s Bond Bourbon will leverage its unparalleled digital reach and the industry’s developing experiential retail trend, the company revealed plans to create seamless digital-to-shelf moments. On the agenda in travel retail: QR codes unlocking personalized video content, founder messages and mixology tips; in-store screens featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and curated activations.

“By merging our social engagement with immersive in-store storytelling, we aim to convert interest into action — and turn the duty free shelf into a space of emotional connection and discovery,” says Hanna. “We’re also developing a global campaign tailored to the travel retail audience — one that blends digital storytelling, sustainable values and an elevated bourbon experience. We want travelers to discover not just a product, but a purpose, wherever their journey takes them.”

“Brother’s Bond Bourbon represents exactly the kind of brand we seek to bring into our portfolio. Premium, authentic, and with a strong emotional connection to consumers. Its rapid growth and compelling brand story make it a natural fit for our travel retail strategy, and we’re excited to offer it to our global customer base as of August,” comments Rüdiger Stelkens, Purchase Director Liquor, Tobacco, Confectionery & Food at Gebr. Heinemann.

Purpose-driven brand

On track to build the first truly regenerative spirits company in the world, Somerhalder says he is blending for equal sensory proportion — an absolute balance of harmony and flavor. Beyond the bottle, he is blending with the desire to make a difference. “We came out of the gate saying we are giving back to regenerative agriculture because we know that this is the future of food and agriculture and people don’t even know what it is,” explains Somerhalder. “We are now growing our own regenerative grains. We have hundreds of acres of unbelievable certified regenerative rye growing in Western Indiana.”

In 2024, Brother’s Bond Bourbon released its first bourbon made from regeneratively grown grain, setting the stage for future innovation rooted in environmental stewardship. In travel retail, the company will bring awareness to this aspect of the business through shelf signage, on-pack storytelling and digital content that explains both the “why” and “how” of regenerative agriculture. “Our aim is to inspire travelers to make conscious choices — and to show them that their pour can be part of a larger purpose,” adds Hanna.

On the topic of whiskey classification and exploration, Brother’s Bond Bourbon is committed to honoring tradition while also reimagining what bourbon can be. “That means blending unique mash bills, experimenting with grain sources like regenerative crops and producing limited-run innovations that push boundaries while remaining approachable.

“Through micro-batch releases, barrel select programs and educational tastings, we’re giving consumers new reasons to explore the category — whether they’re seasoned connoisseurs or curious newcomers. We want bourbon to feel both familiar and exciting,” says Hanna.

Experience in a bottle

We also spoke at length about the different types of heightened emotions travelers often experience while at the airport. Whether travelers are feeling nervous to fly, excited to see someone or sad to leave a destination, the components of a product — name, logo, artwork — call out to them. “The whole ethos of the brand is about sharing moments of intimacy, bringing people together,” says Somerhalder. This reflects the heart of travel retail.

Reminiscent of a Hollywood script, Somerhalder listed a series of real-life scenarios describing how a traveler might come across a bottle of Brother’s Bond Bourbon in duty free. “At the end of the day, it comes down to a person — a dad or a mom, a businessperson; someone who just had their heart broken or someone who just fell in love. Someone who just got the biggest job or someone who just lost one, standing with their bag or their briefcase in a store with chaos around them, holding a bottle and seeing or feeling something new,” he conveys. “It’s not a bottle of whiskey; it’s a bottle of experience.”