How an Active Duty Army Major Built an Award-Winning Bourbon Brand

Welcome to Season 2 Episode 18 of the “Militarily Speaking” podcast with Tom McLean and Jodi VickeryIn this episode of Militarily Speaking, we talk with Major Cole Hanna, co-founder of H.K. Young Bourbon Company, about building an award-winning Kentucky bourbon brand while continuing to serve on active duty. Cole shares how military leadership shaped his approach to entrepreneurship, why H.K. Young committed to toasted barrel finished bourbon, and what military members should know before starting a business of their own.“Militarily Speaking” is a podcast produced by Armed Forces Bank that is dedicated to the military lifestyle and all the things that makes the military community who they are.How an Active-Duty Army Major Built an Award-Winning Bourbon BrandMilitary service and entrepreneurship may look like very different careers, but Major Cole Hanna has found plenty of overlap between the two.Cole remains on active duty while also helping lead H.K. Young Bourbon Company, a Kentucky bourbon brand he co-founded with Tyler Young and Spencer Kalijan. The company has built its identity around toasted barrel finished bourbon and has already earned recognition from major spirits competitions.For Cole, the journey from military officer to entrepreneur has required many of the same skills he uses in uniform: strategic thinking, communication, risk management, discipline and knowing how to build the right team.From Bourbon Hobby to H.K. Young Bourbon CompanyCole’s interest in bourbon began after he was stationed at Fort Campbell. Living near Kentucky introduced him to the bourbon industry, but it was the community surrounding it that really captured his interest.That eventually led him to start the Clarksville Bourbon Society, which grew from a group of bourbon enthusiasts into a nonprofit organization with thousands of members. Over time, Cole began thinking about turning his interest in bourbon into a business.Finding a Niche in a Crowded Bourbon IndustryCole and his partners knew they were entering an increasingly crowded bourbon market.Instead of trying to launch another brand that looked like everything already on store shelves, they wanted H.K. Young to have a clear identity. They found it in toasted barrel finishing.H.K. Young works with bourbon sourced from respected Kentucky producers including Bardstown Bourbon Company and Green River before using proprietary blending and finishing methods to develop its products.The company describes itself as the toasted barrel finish bourbon company. That focus has helped create a recognizable position for the brand while giving the founders room to continue developing different products within the same overall identity.The company is trying to build something that can remain relevant five, 10 or 15 years from now.Building a Brand Takes More Than a Great ProductH.K. Young has expanded into multiple states and can also ship to many customers through online sales, but every new market brings new regulations, distribution relationships and sales challenges.Cole says entrepreneurs sometimes assume that getting picked up by a distributor means the hard part is over. A product still must move through the distributor, onto retail shelves and ultimately into a customer’s hands. That requires consistent work in the market.H.K. Young uses social media, online influencers, retail displays, awards and other marketing efforts, but Cole says nothing completely replaces having people physically in stores, talking with retailers and allowing customers to experience the product.For entrepreneurs, the broader lesson is simple: launching the business is not the finish line. You still have to earn the customer.Military Skills Can Translate Into Business LeadershipCole’s military career has taken him through several different roles, including becoming a Foreign Area Officer and studying Russian through the Defense Language Institute. He currently serves with U.S. Army Europe and Africa, working in a role that requires strategic communication and interaction with senior military leaders and international partners.Many of those experiences have influenced the way he approaches H.K. Young. Risk management is one example. Military leaders constantly have to assess risk, reduce what they can and make decisions despite uncertainty. Entrepreneurs face many of the same challenges. Cole also points to communication, discipline, strategic thinking and work ethic as skills that translate well into business.Military experience can also teach another valuable lesson: you do not have to personally know everything. Sometimes success comes from knowing who to call.Build Your Entrepreneurial Network and Find a MentorFor service members thinking about starting a business, Cole’s strongest advice is to build a network. His own business benefited from several years of relationships within the bourbon industry before H.K. Young ever launched.That network gave him access to people who understood different parts of the business. Military members may already have a larger network than they realize after years of assignments, units and professional relationships.Experienced entrepreneurs can often identify problems before they become expensive mistakes.Do Your Market Research Before You CommitCole encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to study the market before launching. That market research helped H.K. Young recognize an opportunity around toasted barrel finishing.Rather than trying to compete with every bourbon brand in every category, the company built a more focused identity. For military members transitioning into entrepreneurship, that same discipline can help determine whether an idea is simply interesting or whether it has a realistic place in the market.The Right Team Can Balance Your WeaknessesH.K. Young is led by three founders with different strengths. Cole describes himself as having a relatively high tolerance for risk. Spencer, who handles much of the company’s financial side, has a lower risk tolerance. Tyler has taken on much of the work surrounding the company’s plans to establish a physical location in downtown Hopkinsville, Kentucky.Their different skills allow each founder to focus on the areas where they can contribute the most. Building a strong team does not mean surrounding yourself with people who think exactly like you. Sometimes the best team is made up of people whose strengths compensate for each other’s weaknesses.Staying Connected to Hopkinsville and the CommunityH.K. Young’s connection to Hopkinsville is built into its identity. The company’s logo features three tobacco leaves representing its three founders while also referencing Hopkinsville’s history as part of Kentucky’s Black Patch tobacco region. The team is also working toward opening a physical H.K. Young location in downtown Hopkinsville. That local connection reflects the same community-minded approach Cole developed through the Clarksville Bourbon Society.Giving back has remained important throughout his military entrepreneurial journey. Cole sees supporting the community less as a business strategy and more as something people should simply do when they have the ability to help.Newest Release for H.K. Young: Extinct SpiritsHe and his team are developing a company called Extinct Spirits, which combines spirits releases with original artwork featuring extinct animals. The concept is designed around storytelling while also giving back, with a portion of sales intended to support wildlife restoration and conservation efforts.Cole says the team is targeting a September launch. The project gives him another way to combine entrepreneurship with the philanthropic mindset that has been part of his bourbon journey from the beginning.Balancing Active Duty and EntrepreneurshipRunning a growing business would be demanding enough on its own. Cole does it while remaining on active duty overseas. The time difference can occasionally work in his favor. By the time colleagues and business partners in the United States start their workday, he has already completed much of his military day.Then the H.K. Young work begins. Cole says evenings can be spent on calls, emails and business decisions until it is finally time to sleep. Beyond that, there is not much about military entrepreneurship that resembles a predictable 9-to-5 schedule.A Special Offer for Militarily Speaking ListenersDuring the episode, Cole offered Militarily Speaking listeners 25% off through H.K. Young Bourb...