Season 7, Episode 17: Barry & Tori Brinegar

On this episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast, Mark flies solo as host and welcomes back longtime friends and multi-time guests Barry and Tori Brinegar for a conversation that's been a long time coming—and one that finally lets Barry answer the question everyone has been asking: What's next? The answer is Kentucky Bonded Spirits, a new venture created by Barry and Tori that will work alongside spirits brands in a consultative role, drawing on Barry's years of experience and relationships across the industry to help brands build their presence, navigate the marketplace, and create meaningful growth. Barry and Tori share the story behind Kentucky Bonded Spirits, why they felt the traditional model was ready for a different approach, and how they plan to work primarily in Kentucky and Georgia alongside their Georgia partner, Josh Culbreth. They also discuss their vision for disrupting some of the conventional thinking around distribution, market access, and ultimately creating better pathways for brands to connect directly with consumers. The conversation then turns to one of the brands Kentucky Bonded Spirits will be working with - Row 94, the whiskey brand backed by country music superstar Dierks Bentley. Barry and Tori talk about the opportunity they see in the brand, what makes Row 94 interesting in an increasingly crowded whiskey marketplace, and how they hope to help build its presence and reach. And because Barry, Tori, and Mark have been around this industry, and each other for a while, the conversation naturally wanders into a few stories about some very good mutual friends. They talk about Kim and Tom Bard and the incredible work happening at Bard Distillery, as well as Denny Potter and Jane Bowie and the exciting things taking shape at Potter Jane Distillery. It's a conversation about friendship, entrepreneurship, taking chances, building something of your own, and the people who continue to make Kentucky bourbon such a fascinating industry to follow. And with this crew, there was certainly no shortage of whiskey on the table. Along the way, Mark, Barry, and Tori enjoy an impressive lineup of pours: • Old Grand-Dad 114 Single Barrel • Row 94 Small Batch • Row 94 Broken Branches • Row 94 Full Proof • John Prine Kentucky Straight Bourbon from Bard Distillery • Big Vat Liar from Potter Jane Distillery From launching a brand-new venture and challenging traditional industry models to Dierks Bentley, old friends, new distilleries, and a table full of great whiskey, this episode covers a lot of ground and has plenty of laughs along the way. So pour yourself a great glass, settle in, and join Mark, Barry, and Tori for another fun conversation about new beginnings, big ideas, good friends, and what might be next for the bourbon industry on this episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast.