Brother's Bond Bourbon Looks To Stir Up Sustainability During Earth Month
A great example is Brother's Bond Bourbon. This brand may get a lot of attention for their bourbon, but they are equally established for their consistent sustainability efforts.
Espresso Regentini from Brother's Bond Bourbon.
Brother's Bond Bourbon
In fact their Regenerative Grain Straight Bourbon was one of the first small batch bourbons in the U.S. made with regenerative grains and the brand has donated a portion of every Brother's Bond bottle sold to Kiss the Ground, which supports soil health. Now, the brand is marking Earth Month in a special way with their Shake & Stir Up change campaign in an effort to support sustainability and regenerative agriculture.
Ian Somerhalder, who co-founded Brother's Bond with Paul Wesley, chatted with Forbes.com in an email interview about this Earth Month initiative, but he explains for this brand, sustainability isn't an add-on; it's a founding principle.
"From day one, our mission has been to create exceptional whiskey while protecting the planet for future generations," said Somerhalder, who says his team is committed to helping transition U.S. farmland to regenerative agricultural practices, with an ambitious goal of supporting 100 million acres by 2030. "Regenerative farming rebuilds soil health, enhances biodiversity, and captures carbon; it's one of the most hopeful and scalable solutions to the climate crisis. Every bottle of Brother's Bond helps support this transition, with 1% of our sales donated to advancing soil health. It's about legacy, impact, and crafting a better future, sip by sip," said Somerhalder.
To this end, the Regenerative Grain Bourbon is a small-batch release made with grains grown using regenerative practices within 20 miles of the distillery in North Carolina. "It's a blend of a nuanced three-year bourbon and a distinct six-year wheated bourbon, and it's one of the first in the U.S. made with regeneratively farmed grains," said Somerhalder, who shared sourcing these grains wasn't easy.
"There's no existing roadmap, but we felt strongly about leading the change. This release represents a tangible step toward more environmentally responsible bourbon-making, and the flavor speaks for itself: rich caramel, toasted oak, campfire marshmallow. It's an award-winning bourbon with depth and purpose," said Somerhalder,
As part of their sustainability efforts, Brothers Bond is also working with Kiss the Ground, a nonprofit that's changing how we think about soil. "They advocate for regeneration as a solution to the climate, water, and wellness crisis, and they make the science accessible and inspiring," said Somerhalder. "I've been involved with them personally for years and helped produce both Kiss the Ground and Common Ground, two powerful documentaries about the regenerative movement."
Brother's Bond supports their mission financially and through awareness. "With every bottle sold, we're contributing to their work helping U.S. farmers shift to regenerative practices—over 36 million acres and counting. It's a partnership grounded in shared values and real impact," said Somerhalder.
For Earth Month's Shake & Stir Up Change campaign, the team created two coffee-forward cocktails: The Espresso Regentini, which is made with certified regenerative coffee beans from Kiss the Ground, as well as the Carbon Capture Cold Brew, a bourbon-forward spin with a touch of sweetness.
"Coffee and bourbon share deep roots in agriculture and craftsmanship, and we wanted to use that connection to tell a bigger story about regeneration, flavor, and making better choices," said Somerhalder, who believes the Espresso Regentini especially gives the classic espresso martini a more soulful, whiskey-rich profile. "Bourbon and coffee were meant to meet, and this Earth Month felt like the perfect time to introduce them," said Somerhalder.
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