![]() ![]() “Once these things started happening, then African Americans began applying.” The company has always been 50% women, so Weaver was able to at least create a diverse ratio between men and women.įurthermore, Weaver states another pertinent reason as to why persons of color never felt welcome in the whiskey world. To Weaver’s point, people of color began applying to work at Uncle Nearest Whiskey once the company became on of the fastest-growing independent American whiskey brands in US history, and won a number of awards, including top medals in the NY International Spirits Competition. So, we’re sort of conditioned to not expect for an African American to do what I am doing right now.” So many of us have failed in business, so few of us have succeeded. So, who’s going to take a risk if you’re African American? That’s the reality of it. We’re not getting enough applications.” She continues, “We’ve never had an African American succeed in this business. I sit with all these CEOs and heads of all these different departments and we all have the same problem. CEO of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, Fawn Weaver, says “It’s not that people in this industry don’t want to diversify. The Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative launched to shine not just a spotlight, but a bright flood lamp, on the lack of diversity within the American whiskey scene, and finally do something about it. It’s a deep, substantive history brought to light and made into action,” says Jack Daniel’s Global Brand Director, Matt Blevins. It’s bringing to light a friendship that existed in an unlikely period of time in the post-Civil War era between a black man and white man… So, it’s not just empty language. “What’s most exciting is we’re taking action on something that has been part of our story and part of our history that we’ve been pretty vocal about the past several years. The story of the historical bond between former slave Nearest Green, who taught a young Jack Daniel how to make whiskey, is one that’s truly inspiring in the current divisive world landscape (more on that story here). ![]() ![]() It’s no mystery that individuals of color are largely missing from the whiskey narrative, but with the launch of the two whiskey companies’ Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative, a $5 million investment, they’re seeking to increase inclusion in the industry. Two leading Tennessee-based spirit companies, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey and Jack Daniel’s, have come together to tackle a common theme within the American whiskey scene: the lack of diversity. Uncle Nearest is the only Black-owned and operated liquor company tracked by the Beverage Information Group.Uncle Nearest’s Fawn Weaver and Jack Daniel’s Matt Blevins discuss initiative to advance the whiskey industry Other celebrity-backed brands are not majority-owned by their Black founders and investors, like LeBron James' Lobos 1707, Dwayne Johnson's Teremana, and Jay-Z's D'Usse cognac, of which he recently sold his majority shares for an estimated $750 million.Ĭelebrity aside, there are very few Black-owned liquor businesses in the US, fewer still owned by women. ![]() That means the brand has sold more bottles than Diddy's DeLeón tequila, which he co-owns with the beverage company Diageo. Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is the best-selling Black-owned spirit brand in the US, according to Neilsen data compiled by analytics firm 3-Tier Beverages and 2021 reports from the Beverage Information Group obtained by Insider. But one company has eclipsed some of the biggest names in the industry without Hollywood backing. It often indicates a user profile.įor many liquor brands, it takes star power to sell bottles, whether through a celebrity founder like George Clooney or a brand ambassador like Alicia Keys. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. ![]()
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