The Black Bourbon Society Is Coming to an End, Reveals Founder Samara B. Davis

In 2016, Samara B. Davis founded the Black Bourbon Society (BBS) with the intent to create a connection between the whiskey industry and Black bourbon enthusiasts, a segment of consumers long overlooked by many producers. Through a membership-based model and engagement via social media platforms, event partnerships, workshops, and educational sessions, BBS brought the often-exclusionary world of limited-edition releases and private tastings to a community that sought direct engagement. 

BBS now faces another shift. After nearly a decade leading the group, Davis has decided it’s time to move on. While Davis hasn’t set a date for the end of BBS, she anticipates that she will wind down the project by the end of 2024.

“When I came into this industry eight-and-a-half years ago, I had a mission. I truly believe I proved that point,” says Davis. “I’ve shown through the work that we’ve done, from in-person events across the country and virtually, and making it through the pandemic, that the African American demographic is a key component of bourbon consumers and a valued consumer base.”

BBS has partnered with renowned spirits brands such as Jim Beam, Michter’s, and Maker’s Mark. The latter collaboration resulted in two award-winning Private Select creations. The group also worked with Pinhook on an exclusive 2022 bourbon blend (a portion of proceeds going to the nonprofit Diversity Distilled) and hand-selected a barrel-aged maple syrup by WhistlePig.

“We became the bridge for the brands to this new demographic and helped to build awareness on all fronts,” says Davis. “It wasn’t just for a Black consumer to learn more about the spirits industry and to have deeper insight, but it was really to help [liquor] brands see us as real and valued consumers.” 

The origins and impact of the Black Bourbon Society

When Davis started BBS, she juggled local meetups in the Bay Area, where she lived, while she worked to expand the group to Atlanta. 

“I was traveling back and forth, and all these other bourbon drinkers were popping up asking, ‘When are you coming to Chicago? Philadelphia? Houston?’” she says. “I was like, ‘Y’all, I’m only one person. I can’t do that.’” 

In 2016, Davis launched a private Facebook group for members to connect BBS groups nationwide. “Folks felt like they really needed this space and to feel like they connected and belonged, and that became the purpose,” she says. 

This was followed by the launch of a whiskey festival and annual in-person meetup, Bourbon Boule, in 2017. Attendees are invited to supper club dinner pairings, exclusive distillery tours, seminars, and parties. This year’s event, in Louisville, Kentucky, was held during Labor Day weekend and featured partners that included Maker’s Mark, Michter’s, Angel’s Envy, Old Forester, and Sable. 

ArrKeicha Danzie and her husband, David A. Danzie Jr., of Byron, Georgia, are devoted, longtime BBS members. “[The society has] deepened my appreciation for bourbon, not just as a drink, but as a craft that brings people together,” she says.

This year, the couple will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary, and the society and Bourbon Boule have added “another layer of excitement” to their marriage. “The society didn’t just introduce us to the finer nuances of bourbon, but it also provided a platform for us to enjoy this journey together and enhance our bond,” says Danzie Jr. 

Although Bourbon Boule began years earlier, Davis says that “it didn’t take shape until we hit COVID.” It came as the country also faced racially charged murders and protests, which made the tight-knit BBS community a much-needed refuge. 

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, the community became an even more vital lifeline,” says Danzie Jr. “Engaging in thought-provoking discussions about access in the bourbon industry, participating in taste-testing sessions of novel bourbons, and enjoying music and laughter in a virtual setting was a unique experience.”    

“BBS was about bourbon, but it was less about [just] bourbon. It was more about community and people coming together in a safe space during a tumultuous, uncertain time,” says Davis. “Our membership tripled. I joke that during that time, you either learned how to bake bread, became a plant mom, or you learned how to drink whiskey…The community part of it started to matter more than the whiskey.”

 As the country began to reopen after the pandemic lockdowns, BBS further leaned into its mission to promote diversity and inclusion in the spirits industry. “That’s when brands started realizing that we not only have this audience that we connect with on a 24-hour basis through a Facebook group, but we also have the expertise to create these amazing experiences in person for audiences and brands,” says Davis.

The influx of agency requests and multi-city marketing campaigns spurned the next phase of BBS, the launch of Society Marketing Group, which oversees experience-based marketing initiatives. 

The end of an era

The tough economy and strained socio-political climate, coupled with the challenging landscape that the alcohol industry faces, have all been factors in Davis’s decision to wind down the venture.

Many companies have ended their DEI-based initiatives, and U.S. alcohol sales have declined for the first time in nearly three decades. A 2024 Gallup poll found that 65% of young adults in the U.S. believed that consuming one or two drinks a day had a negative impact on their health. 

Though the alcohol market is expected to recover in 2025, the question remains: Have spirits industry leaders heeded the message sent by those like Davis and BBS? 

“This DEI conversation we’re having in 2024 is very interesting because I think companies, not only in the spirits industry, understand the need for diversity,” says Davis. “They see the benefit. They see it in their bottom line and their consumer base. They understand that diversity makes their company great. It comes up with innovation, connectivity, and culture. DEI is not just a feel-good measure. It shows up in company growth results, especially in the spirits industry.”

Whiskey is in the midst of a decades-long renaissance. Innovative production techniques and a willingness to experiment have pushed a once-stagnant category into new directions. Nevertheless, cultural innovation remains a work in progress. 

As the country becomes younger and more diverse — the U.S. Census projects that minorities will represent a majority of the population by 2045 — it may be that society becomes less likely to indulge in alcoholic beverages. Davis sees inclusivity as necessary for the spirits industry’s longevity. After all, such inclusivity changed the course of her own life.

 “My future in whiskey will evolve quickly, and it won’t just be in whiskey, it will be in all spirits,” she says. “There’s also something bigger calling on my life that must be universal, and it’s a bigger message for society. My life purpose is about redefining and reshaping society. Bourbon was just a catalyst for me discovering and figuring out who I was as a person. And now, my contribution is to help other women find that, too.” 

What comes next?

In November, as a final homage and celebration, BBS will re-release its debut barrel pick, Maker’s Mark Private Selection: Original Recipe, which won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2019. It will be an exclusive sale for paid BBS members only, via a partnership with Taste Select Repeat. 

Davis has multiple projects in the works, from product development to consultation on marketing strategies and client acquisitions. However, the need to create personal connections continues to drive her mission. 

“I feel like I’m more impactful when I’m behind closed doors and having those one-on-one conversations,” she says. “And brands trust me for being able to have that.”

 As the leader behind BBS, Davis enjoys a strong foothold across multiple parts of the spirits industry. She also recognizes the invaluable knowledge and friendships she’s made through the process.

 “We all have a calling in our life. It’s not necessarily if we tap into it, it’s what taps us,” says Davis. “BBS was great and satisfying for the moment, but I always knew going into this that it wasn’t my end all, be all. I wanted to contribute to bourbon and have more diversity and inclusion in the spirits industry. I saw the hole and filled that need.”

Change may be a constant, but in the case of Black Bourbon Society, transformations also present novel opportunities.

“At the core of my soul, I want to help other Black women find their catalyst and superpower because it’s clear I found mine,” says Davis. “What if 50 of my closest friends also found their superpowers, and we all united? We could change the world. What’s next is way bigger than bourbon.”