Bourbon Pursuit

Bourbon Pursuit

The Official Podcast of Bourbon! The best in news, reviews and interviews with people making the bourbon whiskey industry happen. Join hosts Kenny Coleman, Ryan Cecil, and Fred Minnick as they talk with prominent guests and provide insight on American whiskey 3 times a week. Catch all new episodes every Thursday with special Whiskey Quickie reviews on Tuesday and get caught up on bourbon news with This Week in Bourbon on Friday.

  1. 6 hr ago

    The 1995 Gamble That Changed D.C. Whiskey with Prav Saraff of Dream Spirits

    Long before the modern bourbon boom, one family bet everything on a credit card cash advance business—and turned a single D.C. storefront into a legendary whiskey empire. On this week’s episode, we sit down with Prav Saraff and talk about an unbelievable immigrant success story that transformed a single, cash-strapped Washington, D.C. storefront into a premier destination for ultra-rare spirits and legendary barrel picks. Prav takes us back to his family’s roots—moving from India to Nepal before grinding through grueling hours in America as dishwashers and gas station attendants to finally buy their first liquor store in 1995. We talk about what it was like balancing high school by day and retail shifts by night, and how a chance encounter with a mentor customer completely shifted their business model away from the low-margin hustle and straight into luxury wine, dusty Van Winkle decanters, and vintage Willett bottles the rest of the industry ignored. Long before the modern bourbon boom, the Saraff family treated hard-to-sell, expensive inventory as a long-term asset, ultimately using their early producer relationships to help put powerhouse brands like Smooth Ambler, Smoke Wagon, and New Riff on the map. Prav breaks down how those foundational single barrel programs revolutionized their operation and laid the groundwork for Dream Spirits—a brand launched to honor his father's ultimate legacy. Show Notes: From India to Northern Virginia: The Saraff family’s journey and the early days of American hustle Betting the future on a 28% interest rate credit card loan to buy a D.C. liquor store in 1995 Balancing high school with retail shifts: How a customer mentor unlocked the world of high-end wine and spirits Buying what others ignored: Taking early risks on Van Winkle decanters, A.H. Hirsch, and vintage Willett Treating expensive, slow-moving inventory as long-term liquid gold How early store picks helped put Smooth Ambler, Starlight, and Smoke Wagon on the map Launching Dream Spirits: Honoring a father's legacy through independent blending and curation Inside the new Virginia estate designed for immersive, memory-making barrel pick trips Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 10min
  2. 2 Jul

    What's Next with Four Roses? on BourbonCommunity Roundtable #120

    On this week’s Bourbon Community Roundtable, our panel is tackling the single biggest shockwave to hit the industry this year: Gallo’s massive acquisition of Four Roses. We're diving headfirst into what this tectonic ownership shift means for one of bourbon’s most fiercely protected heritage brands. We dissect the massive changes coming to the marketing playbook as corporate retail giant Gallo takes the driver's seat, debating whether we’re about to see aggressive national distribution, mainstream sports sponsorships, or an entirely new strategy to scale the brand beyond the enthusiast bubble. Of course, it wouldn't be a roundtable without confronting the ongoing allocation drama and the future of the beloved private barrel program. The team breaks down the internal inventory pressures that strained Four Roses' retail relationships, and we debate whether Gallo’s massive logistical network can actually repair that broken industry trust. Finally, we throw down over the controversial new Experimental Collection and its debut Mizunara Oak finish, debating whether the core 10-recipe lineup should remain sacred or if it's time for the brand to push new boundaries under its new corporate umbrella. Pour a glass and join the conversation as we look past the label to see what Gallo's next move means for your wallet. Show Notes: Evaluating the industry fallout of E. & J. Gallo’s acquisition of Four Roses Fred Minnick on the Seagram's exile, the Kirin rescue, and Jim Rutledge's legendary brand revival The marketing gap: Overcoming Four Roses’ historically quiet consumer footprint Streamlining the portfolio, fixing the Small Batch Select naming issue, and eyeing mainstream sports sponsorships How inventory strain damaged the beloved Four Roses private barrel program Can Gallo’s distribution footprint rebuild broken trust with retailers and whiskey clubs? The Experimental Collection debate: Pushing boundaries with Mizunara Oak vs. protecting the core 10 recipes Why the panel believes finishes and RTDs need separate branding to protect the Four Roses legacy Why Small Batch Select is still a mandatory buy on today's liquor store shelf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 8min
  3. 25 Jun

    The Logistics of Bourbon with Rebecca Estes of Mister P Express

    Ever wonder how your favorite bottle actually gets onto the liquor store shelf? I'm not talking from a production standpoint but from the actual shipment. This is a fun episode becuase we're going to cover something almost completely invisible ito the consumer, trucking and logistics. Joining the show is Rebecca Estes, VP of Sales and Marketing at Mr. P Express. At Pursuit, we talk to logisitcs companies all the time because we're shipping pallets out the door but there's so much going on that most take for granted. Rebecca was eyeing to be a college professor but left to join the family-owned shipping network founded in 1987. Rebecca takes us through her journey from joining the family business in 2011 to managing a non-stop, 365-day operation where weather patterns, scheduling margins, and road safety dictate whether or not distilleries hit their numbers. This episode is a look into the high-stakes supply chain infrastructure that keeps the entire bourbon trail moving. Show Notes: Rebecca Estes’ pivot from aspiring college professor to navigating a legacy family trucking business The invisible logistics web managing raw grains, glassware, and heavy barrel movements across the country Demystifying direct vs. brokered freight, BOLs, pro numbers, LTL, and FTL shipments Alcohol hauling regulations, DOT compliance checkpoints, and the immense pressure of control state delivery windows The dark side of whiskey supply chains: Deconstructing modern cargo theft, electronic paperwork fraud, and load diversion Fleet safety protocols, advanced tracking systems, driver training, and rigorous fleet maintenance structures The physics of hauling barrels, calculating axle weight limits, and managing rigid legal driver hours Trailer mechanics, truck cab configurations, and an honest executive outlook on autonomous self-driving fleets Inside the community-first mission of Mr. P Express, including their specialized driver training school programs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    57 min

About

The Official Podcast of Bourbon! The best in news, reviews and interviews with people making the bourbon whiskey industry happen. Join hosts Kenny Coleman, Ryan Cecil, and Fred Minnick as they talk with prominent guests and provide insight on American whiskey 3 times a week. Catch all new episodes every Thursday with special Whiskey Quickie reviews on Tuesday and get caught up on bourbon news with This Week in Bourbon on Friday.

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