The big interview: Brother’s Bond Bourbon eyes success in GTR
Co-founders Paul Wesley, Vincent Hanna and Ian Somerhalder are taking their Brother’s Bond Bourbon global in travel retail.
Ian Somerhalder is fiercely passionate about two things: whiskey and sustainability. As fate would have it, he found two like-minded brothers – and he does call them brothers – who share not only his vision, but his unwavering work ethic.
Beginning as brothers on screen, the unshakable connection between Somerhalder and his former The Vampire Diaries co-star Paul Wesley inspired the name of their whiskey brand, Brother’s Bond Bourbon. Since its launch in 2021, the pair have been the face, the blenders, and at the forefront of the brand’s growth. But behind the scenes, Vincent Hanna, co-founder and CEO, has also been helping to steer the ship.
It’s easy to see why the three work so well together. Given the opportunity, Somerhalder could wax lyrical for days about Brother’s Bond, blending, samples, regenerative farming – and not just on an industry scale, but as a global revolution. Wesley, meanwhile, from my time spent interviewing him, is more reserved, but answers with absolute purpose, knowledge, direction, and vision about what he envisages this brand to be.
Calm confidence
Hanna sits somewhere between the two, with calm confidence backed by a powerful CV. He cut his teeth in the wine world before translating his expertise to spirits. As Brother’s Bond Bourbon embarks upon its next chapter, Hanna is rightly joining his co-founders, and brothers, in the limelight as they scale up their international reach. “My background in wine has been instrumental in building Brother’s Bond Bourbon,” says Hanna. “The wine industry instils a deep appreciation for nuance, heritage and craftsmanship – values that are foundational to our approach at Brother’s Bond Bourbon.
“Working in wine also provided first-hand experience in navigating distribution, consumer education and regulatory frameworks – all of which are critical when launching and scaling a brand in the beverage space. Perhaps most importantly, it helped shape our storytelling and brand-building strategies, allowing us to communicate not just what’s in the bottle, but why it matters.”
In January this year, Brother’s Bond Bourbon celebrated a significant development after partnering with importer Banfi Vintners in the US. “That was a big shift for us in terms of having eight people in the US to then having a team of 50 dedicated people in the US. That’s what pushed us to look at the global landscape,” Hanna explains.
“We knew we had to feed the demand that we were getting from overseas. We had a lot of fans, a lot of consumers wanting to try the Bourbon around the world, and we couldn’t satisfy that need with the small team that we had, and we were focusing on the US because it made sense for that to really be where we were going to build our brand locally then grow from there.”
Next logical step
The next logical step for the trio was to launch their brand in global travel retail (GTR), in airports and cruise ships. Not ones to do things by halves, the trio took the ‘global’ part of the channel quite literally, and are taking a worldwide approach to their launch into the sector.
“We’ve spent the last few years building a strong foundation, refining our product, growing our community, and earning real credibility in the industry,” says Wesley. “The time feels right to take that momentum global. GTR isn’t just a retail opportunity; it’s a way to introduce Brother’s Bond to curious travellers and whiskey lovers around the world. It’s a gateway. And we believe once people experience our Bourbon, they’ll understand the difference.”
The founders found the perfect partner to match their lofty ambitions in family-owned GTR specialist Gebr Heinemann.
“These people are on another level,” says Somerhalder about the Heinemann family. “You’re talking about a family brand since 1879, and the goals they set themselves to excel and innovate in ways that are environmentally impactful are incredible. Whether it’s the actual airlines, the food and beverage sector, or global travel retail sector, everyone’s looking for that sustainability angle. And we don’t just bring a sustainability angle; this is a regenerative angle.”
The brand’s whiskeys include Brother’s Bond Regenerative Grain, a testament to the trio’s steadfast commitment to creating the best whiskeys possible using the most sustainable production methods. Regenerative agriculture eschews the use of chemicals, instead embracing farming practices that allow the land and nature to recover. It sequesters carbon from the earth, allowing wildlife and biodiversity to flourish, while creating healthier produce and an environment more resilient to drought and flooding.
Brother’s Bond Regenerative Grain Bourbon comprises a blend of three-year-old Bourbon and six-year-old wheated Bourbon –both made entirely from regeneratively grown grains.
When we spoke, the barrels for the third batch of the Bourbon were being dumped for blending – and are earmarked to launch in GTR in October. But until then, the brand’s flagship Straight Bourbon Whiskey, American Blended Rye Whiskey, and Bottled-In-Bond Straight Bourbon will be available to travellers.
“Initially, we weren’t going to do anything outside of the US for Regen,” says Hanna. “Then we looked at the opportunity after hearing what people were saying, especially at ProWein, and the excitement and curiosity behind that. This will be the first regenerative Bourbon in GTR, so that’s super exciting. We’ve talked about it before regarding regenerative farming and sustainability, you don’t have to do it all; even just doing a little bit is positive. So, we’re not all regenerative yet – but that’s our goal, and we’re getting closer to it.”
“We just harvested [in July] our certified-organic regenerative rye, and massive amounts of it,” Somerhalder says. “To be growing regenerative rye in western Indiana – we distil a lot of our whiskey in eastern Indiana – is not as prevalent as you would think. As a company that has been in market for four years and two months, and to be malting and distilling our own regenerative grains, especially something like American rye, is not the norm. Our regenerative corn is so beautiful right now, it’s like six-feet tall, glistening in that North Carolina sunshine – we’re really excited about it. Like Vincent mentioned, we said we were going to do it, and we stuck to our guns, and come hell or high water, we are going to make it happen.”
The GTR expansion and partnership with Gebr Heinemann will help Brother’s Bond share the importance of regenerative farming, not just for the planet, but for farmers, for businesses and, ultimately, the economy. Somerhalder is keen to flip the script on how we talk about sustainability, too. He acknowledges how the topic can, at times, result in far from positive or progressive conversations, instead creating ‘us and them’ mentalities. Instead of talking about “balancing the climate”, he is taking a more localised approach of the weather.
“We do have to change the climate,” Somerhalder says. “But no one can agree on that. But we can all agree the weather is changing right now – and by doing that, you’ve localised the conversation. Because even the biggest climate denier on the planet can’t deny the weather is changing, the hail, the tornadoes in Kansas. So, I said to my team, let’s stop talking about climate. Let’s start talking about the weather.”
He continues: “No one’s going to stop building their businesses. GDPs are not going to slow down. So, let’s go the other way. Let’s stop fighting each other about what we think supply chains should do or what companies are better because they’re doing this or that. Instead, let’s start eating all that carbon [with regenerative agriculture].”
The co-founders are also excited about the potential that GTR holds to open up the American whiskey category to new audiences. Younger, largely female demographics who know Somerhalder and Wesley from The Vampire Diaries are an obvious audience – and all three hope this will be the start of building a new generation of whiskey lovers.
“Ian and I were in France, and we saw it in the UK too, and we said, ‘wait a second, that next generation, nobody’s talking to them about whiskey’,” Hanna recalls. “Brands that we loved and grew up on, they’re still pitching the same way they pitched it to us 30 years ago. But when I look at my teenage daughters, they’re getting their information instantly – who’s speaking to that generation? But if you can find ways to capture their interest… that’s why I think airports are amazing. It’s a place of emotion, whether you’re happy, sad, excited to go see somebody, scared to leave a place, if you see a recognisable brand, you see something you’ve got a connection to. We want to build those connections in airports all over the world.”
It’s a valuable sentiment that Wesley also reiterates. “Travel is about connection, new places, new people, new stories,” he adds. “Brother’s Bond fits naturally into that experience. Whether someone’s picking up a bottle on their way to visit loved ones or discovering it for the first time in an airport shop, we want the Bourbon to feel like a shared moment. It’s more than a spirit; it’s a story you get to take with you.”
To build those moments of connection, the GTR availability will be supported by digital touch points, such as QR codes leading travellers to personalised video content, messages from the founders, and tips on how to create Brother’s Bond cocktails at home. Gifting opportunities will also be available, alongside tasting opportunities.
Each co-founder harbours a particular soft spot for certain parts of GTR for different reasons, and those airport stores will be all the more special to spot a bottle of Brother’s Bond. “Berlin is a city full of culture and connection, which is what Brother’s Bond is all about,” says Wesley – adding it is also the city his fiancé is from. “I’m excited it’ll be available there, it’s the perfect place for travellers to discover and share our Bourbon.”
“For me, number one is Frankfurt,” says Hanna, “just because I’ve flown through there – I can’t even tell you how many times – but also because it’s going to be central to Europe. When you look at the markets in Europe that would be consuming American whiskey, or whiskies in general, they would be France, Germany, the UK, but a lot of people fly through Frankfurt to get anywhere.”
Somerhalder also highlights Frankfurt “because of our Heinemann family connection”. But Sydney is also a dream destination for him: “It’s not only one of my favourite cities in the world, but Australians just love our whiskey. It’s just so far away, and it’s amazing that we can now bring our whiskeys to them – it’s going to be unbelievable.”
From the early days, Somerhalder, Wesley, and Hanna have been committed to proving this is not just ‘another celebrity spirit’. Now as they approach five years, do they feel the mission has been accomplished? “Ian and I didn’t just put our names on a label, we’ve been involved in every part of this journey,” Wesley stresses.
“From blending the Bourbon to designing the packaging, we built Brother’s Bond from the ground up. It reflects our values, craftsmanship, authenticity, sustainability. So, when people taste it and see the care that’s gone into it, we hope they realise this is a brand with real heart and intention.”
Hanna adds: “There’s a place for celebrity endorsements, a place for celebrities being involved in any kind of consumer goods. What’s happened is Ian and Paul started as celebrities – you can’t take that away. But now they’re industry guys. We saw it live in Germany [at ProWein], Ian is on the floor, going around, speaking to other producers, to visitors. He didn’t just show up for 30 minutes; he was there for 10 hours. And when people see that you’ve been doing hard work, good work, you’re continuing to do it and you’re excited about it, it’s hard not to look at it differently.”
Success is in reach
International borders are now well and truly open for Brother’s Bond Bourbon. And while there’s no denying the competitive nature of the GTR channel, success feels well within this trio’s reach.
I ask the Brother’s Bond founders to define what a successful first 12 months in GTR would look like to them this time next year. Somerhalder sums it up: “Honestly, it’s so incredibly simple: that we are available to people globally, creating experiences and bonding while spreading the incredible message of regeneration, and the positive impact regeneration will have on our communities and our beautiful home.
“We need ‘togetherness’ more than ever, and the world needs regenerative agriculture more than ever to balance our weather systems and create a green, bright, and prosperous future – for everyone. Brother’s Bond is here to deliver all of it.”
Click the video below to watch our interview and tasting session with Somerhalder at The Spirits Business Hub at ProWein 2025.
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