Liberty Reserve Bourbon With 4 Branches Gregg Snyder and Rick Franco

We raise a sip to remember, then dig into how Four Branches turns military roots into real whiskey quality and real giveback. We taste Liberty Reserve, break down the blending and double-oak choices behind it, and talk honestly about what it takes to grow a craft bourbon brand without losing the mission. 
• a toast for fallen service members and friends we have lost 
• why Founders Reserve becomes the flagship and what double gold means 
• the Founders Blend to Founders Reserve evolution and the four grain mash bill 
• how the giveback model works including charity auctions and ongoing proceeds 
• the Liberty Reserve concept with 1,776 bottles and 250th anniversary meaning 
• the Liberty Reserve recipe with 10-year and 6.5-year components at 100 proof 
• why toasted barrels change flavor without overpowering the bourbon 
• tasting notes that move from caramel and honey to toffee and char nuance 
• media moments and momentum from Fox Business and other features 
• expansion challenges, capital needs and future festival plans 
Everybody can find us online at www.forebranches.com. Remember, whether you watch us or you listen to us, make sure that you leave us good feedback, become members, leave super chats. 
A 250th anniversary bourbon sounds like marketing until you hear what’s actually in the glass. We sit down with Rick Franco and master blender Greg Schneider from Four Branches and start with a “sip to remember” for those we’ve lost, because for this brand bourbon is tied to service, memory and gratitude as much as it is to flavor. Then we get into the whiskey details that serious bourbon fans care about: what makes a release stand out, what it takes to win, and how you keep quality consistent as demand grows.  

We break down Four Branches Founders Reserve and why it’s become the flagship, including the four grain mash bill and the thinking behind building a sustainable inventory. Greg walks us through blending choices, proof decisions, and what it means to earn a Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. We also talk about the mission that sits behind the bottle: giving back through charity auctions and ongoing support, including a dedicated Folds of Honor bottle that helps fund scholarships for Gold Star families and first responders.  

Then we taste Liberty Reserve, the limited 250th anniversary release capped at 1,776 bottles. You’ll hear the exact blend approach, the 100 proof target, and the finishing step that makes it different: double oaking with deeply toasted new barrels to pull more caramel and vanilla without smothering the original bourbon character. We trade tasting notes in real time and zoom out to the bigger bourbon market trends, media visibility, and what’s next for Four Branches as they push toward wider distribution. If you care about veteran-owned bourbon, double oaked bourbon, four grain whiskey, and purpose-driven American craft spirits, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a fellow bourbon fan, and leave a review with your favorite Liberty Reserve tasting note.

voice over Whiskey Thief

If You Have Gohsts

Transcript

Theme And Sponsor Pour

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Our theme song. And once that's over, spirits started founded in 2008 and focusing on elevating the distinct flavors of the Ohio River Valley. Their spirits honor their roots and reflect their originality as makers, their integrity as producers, and their passion for crafting spirits from grain to glass. Their Michelone reserve line reflects their story from the start to the bottle to your glass, with unique wheated and rye bourbons, and also rye and wheat whiskies, the Michelone brand is easy to sip. It might be a grain to glass experience, but I like to think of it as uncut and unfiltered from their family to yours. It's a special 250th birthday celebration podcast. We have Rick Franco from Four Branches, and we have Greg Schneider, also Master Blender Four Branches and everything. And then we have Super Nas. Welcome everybody. Welcome. So thank you. Rick, we were talking right before about doing a toast. So let's take a moment and do the toast right before we get started here.

SPEAKER_06 2:28

Thanks, Tony. Tiny, absolutely. Hey, tonight I want to, because I had a phone call today, I want to do a toast. We do a sift to remember to the crew, the men and women of Torch 11. Torch 11 was the B-52 bomber that crashed recently and lost eight American souls as they were testing equipment for our national defense. So this is a sift to remember for them tonight. Cheers. Cheers.

250th Celebration Toast And Remembrance

SPEAKER_03 2:56

And I'd like to do a sip to remember for my classmate Craig Walton. I knew him fairly well in high school. And he has been sick for many years and found out today he succumbed. And rest in peace, and a sip to him also. Sip to remember. Wow. That's really good. Um is that the founders reserve? Yes, this is the founders' reserve. And I would like to thank you, Greg and Rick, for getting letting me sample some this whiskey tonight with the Liberty Reserve, which we're gonna celebrate because as we get closer to the 4th of July and our nation's birthday, everybody, there's a there's a lot of people coming out with you know the 250th anniversary bottles and and whatnot. And I think afterwards, I'm gonna try and amass them and do a blind tasting and see what see what what happens. But it's what I've what I've been seeing in each bottle is the best of each distillery and how much this country means, you know, it's just not a marketing ploy, especially when it comes to bourbon. You know, you guys talk about you know the Liberty Reserve and the four, you know, let's talk about the brands right away. About, you know, we as far as when you were on before, we talked about being in all four branches of the military, and I think we were on for the the military. What was it the Army's 250th anniversary? Yeah, that's what that was, right? Yeah. Army Navy for last year. Yep. But this year is the whole country's birthday. And you know, let's just talk about you know what goes into these bottles because you know what what you guys represent, and then knowing Greg and what you're doing is kind of a it's a special thing.

SPEAKER_06 4:55

Absolutely. Well, Greg, I'm gonna let you talk about if I'll let you talk about both because you had a major hand in our founders' reserve, and then I'm really excited, Tiny and Super Nash, for you guys to try the uh Liberty Reserve. I'm not gonna spoil anything with that, but I'll let Greg kind of take the the evolution, so to speak.

SPEAKER_04 5:17

So, yeah, let's talk about the founders reserve first. You know, just it was wasn't that many a few weeks ago. Our founders reserve actually won a double gold medal at the San Francisco World Spears Competition, which you guys know is probably one of the most prestigious competitions in the world. And we're very proud of that. But as Rick said, it's been an evolution. You know, I got started, I guess it was about a year ago, April, and uh the four founders had already come up with several batches of founders blend. And of course, this day and age in the in the market, it's it's a lot more economical to go out and find

Founders Reserve Double Gold Story

SPEAKER_04 5:55

good quality bourbon than you can actually bottle under your brand name. And so that's what they did the first few days. They went out and found some pretty good bourbon, put together some blends, initially worked with Steve Dally, who you guys know at the Forestown Bourbon Company, and it puts together some great bourbon. When I came along in April, we talked about it, and you know, it's increasingly difficult to match what you just did by going out and trying to find you know good quality bourbon available, no matter what the prices are. And so one of the things we talked about is we need to find a good quality bourbon that has a sustainable inventory to carry us on out in the future. And so we tried several different uh uh bourbons and came up with uh a four-grain mash bill from Burstown Bourbon Company. It's 60% corn, 26% rye, 10% uh wheat, and 4% vaulted barley. And we all kind of liked it. Uh we had the whole gang together, all the founders, and like you said, we sampled several, but this one came up uh hit the sweet spot. So that's that's kind of the one we decided to go with. It's 96 proof as a flagship brand, always was. And and so this has kind of become our flagship brand going forward. And again, quite quite proud of the double gold we received. That's not many many bourbons can can acclaim that.

SPEAKER_06 7:12

Well, Greg at at 96 points, too, which was kind of ironic because we're 96 proof, and we hit 96 out of 100. And you know, I'll I'll throw in so glad Greg's part of the team because prior to Greg coming on doing these batches, right? It was founders' blame, but it's always a batch of taking the barrels. That was a lot of pressure on me. So I tasted every batch before it went out, and we did five batches before we kind of evolved into founders reserve. So I I was really glad to have Greg come in and say, hey, let's uh let's let's evolve to the next level. You know, I I equate Greg to like the Jedi master bourbon, and I'm the young Padawan that's been tasting all along to make sure we get it to where it needed to be. And then he took it to the next level.

SPEAKER_03 8:03

Well, I would say that you can't get, I mean, a man that you want to lead you in direction to producing quality whiskey that people want to drink. I out of all the people to pick, you know, Greg's Greg's at the top of the list.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

Yeah, he's he's definitely got a passion for it.

SPEAKER_03 8:24

You made the right decision. And we we attest to that because we've had a lot of Greg's Greg's whiskey uh throughout the throughout the years. And I it just, you know, it's everybody has their own palettes and everything, and then there's like the understanding of making it that he has, and then you put it in there, and he knows whether whether or not it's perfect for his palate or not, it he understands what what good whiskey tastes like and what it needs to taste like. And if you put the right thing in the bottle and then you have this story that you guys have, and it's not it's not a made up, it's not made up, it's real. Yeah. I mean, we're talking, we're talking about a proud, you know, the military and being proud and and respect and everything that bourbon just all the things of bourbon matches what the armed forces, you know, portray. And when you make it with good quality, that's kind of what has to happen with bourbon. It you know, you can't take shortcuts and just it just um that is a marriage made perfectly. So I I think as you guys go forward and you have Greg's guidance and what he's doing, I really think that the whiskey can only get better.

SPEAKER_04 9:46

You know, an important part of the mission as well. And Rick, you can you can speak to this as the give back effort. You know, that's that's uh again, their their story, their mission is something pretty special, and that's what kind of attracted me to want to work with them and I enjoy it immensely. But tell them a little bit about uh where where we've given back and how much we give you know you guys are giving back.

SPEAKER_06 10:05

You know, hey, thanks, Greg. That's uh that's a very important part, and I think that's what you know we want to make sure that your viewers and really anybody that comes across us realizes that we are more than a bourbon company. We have a bigger mission out there. I think I talked touched on a little bit last time, but it's like when we start off this toast or the podcast guys that we did a sip to remember because we don't drink to forget. We sip to remember not only those that aren't here, like the men and women that lost their lives, but we're gonna sip to remember, you know, the good times, two friends getting together, and there's not a finer product in bourbon to do that, to sit around the kitchen table and do that. And we found when we started this, because I started it with my co-founders wanting to give back to the program of or the department or unit, whatever phrase you want to use, of the CIA that was a part of. And started for another Marine, a fallen Marine, a buddy of mine that I recruited. So we always knew we would give back to those

Giving Back Through Bourbon

SPEAKER_06 11:10

organizations that helped us get to where we were and that were a part of our lives and that are doing good things for the men and women who serve our country, whether they served in uniform of any kind, right? Whether you're a firefighter, a police officer, a first responder out there on the lines every day, or a soldier, you know, standing the wall and the watch, we knew we would give back. So to Greg's point, and we never we never saw the impact that it would have. It wasn't part of the plan. We just knew we would do it out of the genuineness of our heart. It was the right thing to do, it is the right thing to do. But we started giving away a lot of our bottles to different organizations. Hey, can I can I have a bottle for my charity event here or this event there, an auction off. And then going on three years, gentlemen, we we have those bottles have at auction have raised close to $700,000.

unknown 12:10

Wow.

SPEAKER_06 12:11

We have seen bottles, I've been in the rooms where a bottle of Founders Blend, which is what you have, Super Nash, has auctioned off for $29,000. Wow, that's amazing. Right. So that's we are we are humbled and proud by that, and then we give back 4% of our proceeds to different charities, right? And it's it's people say, well, which charity and my charity of this charity? And we just say it's you know, we have a few key charities that we give to, but we look at each one and we we make the decision, right? And we give what we have. We'd love to give to everybody, but we can't. But we give to the ones that you know that have resonated with us. Not that they all don't, but you know, that's kind of where we go with it.

SPEAKER_07 12:58

I mean, she said what we're getting with.

SPEAKER_03 13:00

Yeah, that's a that is amazing because you guys are starting off and giving away, giving away all your bottles. Not that that's a that's a bad thing to raise money for charity, but you know, that's that's quite honorable, you know, and I agree. Um so Greg, so when you went to the you he talked about evolving from founders blend to founders reserve, you know, talk about how what what what are what the differences are and which way that it's going.

SPEAKER_04 13:38

Yeah, the founders blend, and again, it's part of it's kind of synonymous with the the four branches of the four-grain, but the founders blend likewise is a four-grain, but it was some you know, rye-based bourbon, and then they would blend it with some wheat-based bourbon. And so that's where you got the fourth grain. The founders reserve is actually a four-grain mash bill, as I mentioned. It's 60, 26, 10, 4 on the mash bill. And so that's that's the the primary difference and how it's evolved. But again, more importantly, I believe we found a very good high-quality bourbon that has a pick enough inventory to sustain our growth and sales going out in the future.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

That's a that's yeah, it's this blend is still real good.

SPEAKER_05 14:24

It's an award winner.

SPEAKER_06 14:26

We won gold and double gold on that. Uh out of the

Founders Blend Versus Reserve

SPEAKER_06 14:30

shoot with the and we won it at the uh the SIPS award. So that was a consumer-based award. That's the everyday person. Yeah, and a blind tasting on that one. We're really we're proud of both of them. Incredibly humbled and proud to, you know, have proven that the the quality of what we put in the bottle is important and stands out. That's that's what counts.

SPEAKER_03 14:53

So Kirk, he says, our most valuable citizens are those who serve or serve. That includes my son's 2nd Calvary Military Intelligence First Squad War Eagle Camp Rose Barracks, Camp Rose Barracks. And he did a super chat for that. So I might as well I was reading it, and so we might as well honor him also for his time served, correct? That's right. Yeah, so you know it's funny, Greg, because the San Francisco uh Spirits Competition, it has always I've always been aware of it, and I understand I know some of the judges and everything, but the people that I've associated myself with, all the different distilleries that are part of the Scotchy, that the Scotchy Bourbon Boys have, they win at San Francisco at a level that it seems like that there's a lot of awards given out, okay? Because uh, but then I realized it's the reason why it seems that way is because I'm associated with the people who make the good whiskey and win the awards. It's not just because they're giving it out to everybody, it's just who we associate ourselves with, and that's just kind of a cool thing.

SPEAKER_04 16:18

Typically, if they can get a silver medal or less, you won't hear about it.

SPEAKER_03 16:24

Yeah, I hear double golds and platinums and this, and and I'm just like, I'm like, God, it seems like they're just giving out so many. And then I'm real, and then I look, and it's it's just because it's so many to the people we are associated with. So congratulations on on the medal on the it was on the reserve, right? Correct? Yes, yes. That's just recent, and I I mean, and that's that it is what would you say, a confirmation when you enter something like that, and people, those judges pick that. They are going, you're going up against the best spirits in the in the world. I mean, it's one of the top world spirits, you know, there's there's a couple other ones that, you know, outside of the country, but the judges at at San Francisco are all quality, you know, you know that they're in the industry, they're pals or they're full-time judges. I mean, they're it's it's a quality, you know, judging competition. There's no doubt about it. Anyways, all right, so that brings us to the next part of this. Is the let's talk about how this came about, the Liberty Reserve.

SPEAKER_04 17:39

Okay, Rick, do you want to talk a bit a little bit about the the the premise behind it, and then I can talk about the product itself? Yeah, absolutely, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_06 17:47

So uh it's to us the Liberty Reserve, first of all, 250 years of our country only comes once once in a lifetime, right? We just happen to be in it right now. So it is a it is a significant milestone that we're approaching, and we knew we wanted to do something to honor the country, and that's why when you look at it, if you look at the packaging, we have the Liberty Bell on there, and then the four is kind of superimposed over the Declaration of Independence. And then we produced tough to see it, but we produced only 1,776 bottles.

Liberty Reserve Concept And 1776 Bottles

SPEAKER_06 18:30

So we were founded in 1776, our military was founded in 1775, so we said let's just do one, you know, numbered bottles, and it's kind of the we have no idea where bottle 1776 is. It's out in the wild right now. So we're something pretty interesting for whoever claims that bottle and sends a picture in of it. The bottles you may have are taster bottles. Just looking, okay.

SPEAKER_05 19:03

You know, it's like there's not a number here.

SPEAKER_06 19:06

So but but we we produced those numbered bottles to put in the market, right? So we did some on DTC, direct to consumer, and then the rest are in our seven traditional markets from DC and Maryland, Virginia, out to Arizona. So then we have Florida and Kentucky and Tennessee. Greg, I think it'd be neat to talk about the evolution from last year to this year and how that plays a part in it. But this is why we came out with our Liberty Reserve. It is our one time a year. We we do one bottle a year uh as far as a special offering, and this is it. And I can tell you, gentlemen, Greg has produced incredible bourbon, but and for me, this is the finest bourbon I've ever had. And it may be the most unique. I don't think there's another one out there like that, Greg. It's what we did.

SPEAKER_04 20:02

Maybe not. It's very rare, if so, but um to Rick's point, you know, last year, as we mentioned earlier, we we we uh decided to bomb a tribute to the 250th anniversary of uh you know the Army, Navy, Air Force, excuse me, no, Army Navy and Marines. Air Force came a lot later. But and you know, back then it was called the Continental Army, the Continental Navy, Continental Marines. So that's what we came out with Continental. For that product, we used nine-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Mashed mill was 75 corn, 13 rye, 12% malted barley. And it it's fantastic. It did uh um you know well received in the marketplace, and so this year again, we want to do something special. So luckily we still had some of that bourbon in inventory now that nine-year-old is now 10-year-old. Okay, and so we had enough left that I was able to take it. I took some six and a half year old of our four-grain, the 60, 26, 10, 4 mash bill, six and a half years old. And so the Liberty Reserve is actually about 70% of the 10-year-old bourbon straight bourbon, and about 30% of the six and a half year old four-grain. So it's truly a four-grain bourbon.

The Double Oaked Blending Process

SPEAKER_04 21:25

It's in a hundred proof. Now, to make it even more special, after I combined it, blended it together, I bought some new barrels. And I didn't toast them, or excuse me, I didn't charge, I just gave them a good deep, medium plus toast. I didn't want to charge whole filter for the great bourbon flavor that was already in there. What I wanted to do was extract more caramel, more vanilla, more open films to enrich, enhance the flavors. And so we did that. We filled uh eight barrels and put it in the top floors of the warehouse, and I would check it every month. And after Six months, I said, boom, that's that's spot on. That's exactly what we're trying to accomplish. And so again, it's 100 proof, it's double oak, it's a combination of 10, six and a half year old, four grain. It's spectacular. And I've told people on Facebook, a lot of friends, Wisco, you know, I told them to me, I'm tasting a lot of bourbon in my 48 plus years in this business. And it's definitely in my top 10. Definitely in my top 10. And I know several guys up with the Wisco group up in Wisconsin have already uh latched on a few bottles. So if you have the opportunity, I highly recommend it.

SPEAKER_06 22:36

You know, and like Greg, like Greg said, be searching for it, but like Greg said, we think it's kind of fitting to the story, just a natural progression, right? 1775, our armed forces had to be were formed to form our country in 1776. So in order to form the Liberty Reserve, we we use that leftover continental, right? So it's basically the armed forces became our helped us form the country. That liquid helped us become Liberty Reserve. That's kind of just natural progression of it. We think it's that's kind of really cool for the story of it. Yeah, it is.

SPEAKER_03 23:13

The nose, you're right. It is the nose is unique. I'm just smelling that. And there's like a caramel, like a honey. There's I want to say like almost a graham cracker aspect to it. Like a spiked graham cracker. I'm excited. That's a hundred proof.

Live Tasting Notes And Reactions

SPEAKER_03 24:07

Wow. That is Greg is right. It's balanced. It it it has a much bigger body than a hundred proof. The body is complete. I mean, it goes everywhere, but then there's an easiness to it that as it hits the back of your throat, it just doesn't get super hot with explosion. It just kind of calm, it's kind of like sitting by a fire, uh a gas fire, not a roaring, you know, backport bonfire. It's more like your gas fire, like at you know, but yeah, that picks up. I see why you like this, Greg. Yeah, this is I mean, your your brain goes through a bunch of different, it's almost like the and even the char aspect of it, there's a little bit of a char. The toasted aspect adds, you know, I get where you can definitely tell what how the toasted barrel helped it. As we were talking in the last podcast at the end, Greg, when I was probably a little bit gone telling you we were gonna do a brand, which you know, whatever. I I went back and looked at that, and I'm like, no more mixed drinks for me. So, anyways, I would say that you know, definitely what's happening here, it picks up there's a there is a classic older bourbon taste, like how whiskey was at at a different in a different time period, but then there's a sweetness to it that really kind of it's the complexity is really super nice because so much stuff is happening, but it it's balanced, right? Wouldn't you say that's why that's where this comes through, is that it's so well balanced.

SPEAKER_04 26:15

Yeah, I I I take it as a compliment, you know, as far as overstyle. You know, I've been doing this a long time and work with a lot of a lot of great ones, and and hopefully I've learned a little bit from them, but but you're right. It it's to me that's that's classic bourbon. It's got all those great caramel vanilla flavors, old black tone. But then you get into some of the nuances of of the, like you said, maybe a little bit of char, a little little bit of sweetness, but the balance of the four-grain and the aids, the balance of the ages as well, I think uh complement each other on the finish of where you can pick up some of the sweeter, sweeter notes.

SPEAKER_03 26:47

So this is this is the the with the whiskey a little bit older that was used for the Continental, is what we're saying. And then you double barreled it in a toasted barrel.

SPEAKER_04 26:59

Right. So it's it's 70% of that same whiskey that uh we used in the cotton now. 30% of the six and a half year old four grain that's in the the reserve, the founders reserve.

SPEAKER_03 27:10

It's like if you want to show somebody how you can change bourbon, it's that's this what this will this there that's a night and day combination of difference. You know what I mean? This is this is existing on a whole different level. The four-grain is coming through. There's a an aspect to the grain that's there, you know what I mean? You actually can get that that flavor in there, but it's sweet and mature. It's a lot of times when when you get a four-grain bourbon and it's a little bit younger, you really taste it because the barrel influence hasn't taken out those those grain flavors, right? And now, but that this is there's there's some there, but it's mature. It's and then it's sweet. And then I'm still I I agree. There's a car, I think that this one is more, I want to say a tough. This pulls toffee. This is pulling a lot of toffee. It's not as much it's caramel's there. I mean, it's just like I said, it's balanced and there's a lot of stuff happening that each sip produces another flavor that you're picking out.

SPEAKER_04 28:31

I agree with that. Absolutely agree. I'm getting the the caramel on the nose, but you're right, when it hits the lips, it's it's just more of a toffee move. I agree.

SPEAKER_03 28:40

The caramel's caramel's there.

SPEAKER_06 28:45

What I've enjoyed seeing with it is people say exactly that. It's delicious. They smile and they're like, damn, that's smooth and good. You guys killed it. So that's that's the layman terms of me coming out. No technicality, but they I've said that a couple of my buddies in Virginia that I went to school with, they bought their bottles, and my my phone lit up with text messages like, are you kidding me? This is amazing.

SPEAKER_04 29:14

So one of the highlight moments here of recent uh, you know, I was with the the founders of four branches. We were at Bargetown Bourbon Company, and uh, four branches actually won a board. It was what was it? It was the Fox Business News, Rick, and it was a small business. It was small business American business.

SPEAKER_06 29:32

Yeah, best our best made in America business 250. And we we were in the we were in the top three. They threw they didn't have a first, second, or third, they just had three tops, and we were in the top three.

SPEAKER_04 29:47

So we were there actually doing a filming episode with Fox Business too. They had all the cameras there and and of course they were focusing on the founders and and about the the the company and so forth. But one of the things we did is we actually bought the bung on on one of the barrels of this uh Liberty Reserve. And all four founders and I actually thieved it and got to taste it right out of the barrel for the first time. And

Fox Business Spotlight And Momentum

SPEAKER_04 30:10

I mean, it was something spectacular.

SPEAKER_03 30:13

Well, you got a game plan going forward, that's for sure, as far as toasted barrels. But you did this on Fox Business? Did they shoot it? Has it aired? Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_06 30:26

Last night it aired. So you can go back and watch the episodes on news Fox News Nation.

SPEAKER_03 30:33

If it was on Fox Business, I might be able to go back because I have I might be able to go back and get an episode because it's I'll see. I'll check it out.

SPEAKER_06 30:45

Yeah. I did it this morning because I missed the episode last night, but I said it it aired twice. It aired on News Nation and then on Fox Business, and I went through it last night, or this morning I went through it and I typed in four branches. So if you go to Fox Business News, type in four branches, the episode will pop up.

SPEAKER_03 31:07

I will do that. And then all I can say is if you're on Fox Business News, prepare to sell out. I mean, going to Fox, anything if they're gonna, I mean, it's just like it's it's the the power of the people watching and what your brand is. You just, you know, when you think about it, that's not something that that's no-brainer for anybody who loves the military and drinks bourbon, they're gonna want to try it. I don't know if you saw sales go up on your on your website, but like we saw a little spike, you know.

SPEAKER_06 31:43

The biggest thing, and you're right, the power of the people and getting the message out there is the biggest thing. When we did the Today show for Veterans Day in 2024, guys, that was like jumping on a bottle rocket and hold on. Yeah, because when they lit it, we exploded. And it was it was it was fantastic. I mean, it was uh it was big numbers within the first hour online.

SPEAKER_03 32:10

Honestly, you're putting good stuff, you're putting great stuff in the bottle, and then you have the power of your lives that you know what you guys did and how you served, and how you respect the military, you know, and what's going on now. I mean, the it if, and then there's so much that is at your disposal when you're telling me you're doing the today show, you know, on a military holiday, and then you're telling me you're doing Fox Business News coming up leading up into Fourth of July, you've got an aspect open to you that every bourbon brand doesn't have. You that military tie, a lot of the brands, all the brands of bourbon will show and pay tribute to the military. There's no doubt about it. Everybody, you know, that 250th for the for the you know, birthday of the army, there were so many different brands that did that. But you guys being who you are, the marketing availability to you that isn't available to everybody because you're direct. It's a direct connection. Plus, you're giving money to charity off of this. It's I can't, it's the win-win.

SPEAKER_06 33:33

We're we're we're really tiny, we're really blessed with that, you know. And hopefully there's some people listening out there because we do need help. We're a small craft brand, and we need a little bit of help to come on in and kind of give us a little more wind in our sails.

SPEAKER_00 33:48

But uh we got it shared to a lot of veterans' groups that I belong to tonight, whiskey and cigar groups. So hopefully it'll pick up. Yeah, we appreciate it.

SPEAKER_06 33:59

I mean, we'll spread the word. And and and our community is pretty loyal. You know, it's not just a veteran getting military and first responder community, guys. It's a patriotic American community. And that's you know, you love the country, you support the country, the our American values, you know, you you support this brand. This brand is your brand.

SPEAKER_03 34:18

Most I would say 95% people who drink bourbon are patriotic. I mean, there might be a few that aren't, but that's it's so far, so far and few in between. It's funny to me how patriotic the their their customers are for some of these places, some of the places, but then they themselves exist in a different realm that is not how their you know how their consumers are. And it's just very unique, but that's you know, you don't have to worry about that here. We all know what you're standing for, we all know what everybody does. Everybody in the military, you gotta do hats off, just like when we were doing the sips to remember tonight, just because you know it's it's it's like any other uh other profession. If you're not in if you're not actively engaging in combat, that doesn't mean it's still not something where something can go wrong because of what you guys deal with. And people don't sometimes realize that. You know, there's a you know, it's it's and the seriousness of everything that goes on within the military has it has to be that way, and it always has been that way, and that's something that there's a lot of respect, but that's mostly bourbon. I I don't know too many people that I've come across that they don't have the same respect myself and what I have the respect for Martin's service that he gave, and the respect of what you do, and and and we all most bourbon people understand what a commitment that is that's made. It's just not you go into it, you sign up, but you know, there's times where you're asked, you know, throughout history, people have been asked to lay down their lives, and people who most people in the bourbon industry understand that and they respect everyone leading up to this. You know, and it's just like if people that sometimes you see people who don't, and it kind of is a little bit upsetting because what we have is unique to anything else. The reason why

Service Culture And American Opportunity

SPEAKER_03 36:40

we have it is because of the four branches.

SPEAKER_06 36:43

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Four branches, and now we got you know, two more, six, but it's because of how we started. You're 100% right. And, you know, in that profession, and it's the same, I'm sure, with both in the firefighter and especially the law enforcement, it's not a matter of if. It's a matter of when. When that day comes. Yeah. And that's that is a serious sense that you alluded to. You're in it long enough, there will be a win, not an if. And so we that that is never, obviously, because I've been in and so and done it, it's never far from my mind. Right. And now, you know, I'm I'm quote the old guy, I'm out, but those young men and women still out there, they're standing on the wall. And it happens every day. And probably what most of what most of the American public may or may not really realize is we have people out there in places that are dark and scary every single day of the year. Right? People are laying it out every single day of the year. Just because it's not on the news or it doesn't hit the wire or this or that doesn't mean it's not happening. And, you know, for me, my salute to them is hey, they're out there, they're doing the deed, they're doing the job. So I, you know, I remember that, and I'm thankful that we can sit here and pour good bourbon and have great discussions and be, you know, thankful for our country and the birthday that we're getting and the freedoms that we have.

SPEAKER_03 38:18

Oh, well, I think the World Cup, in my opinion, the whole world is coming here and you see what they see, and they and people don't realize that what we have is so special. And sometimes you wonder why we would ever want to break it down and change it. We don't. I mean, that's just something that we got to make sure all along. But, you know, there's there's certain aspects and things, but overall, you know, there's nothing history is laid down in different time periods, and you know, and the military's been there all along. And as we keep going forward, it needs to be there also. But, you know, how people behave and everything as we go through history, it's just I just hope we always keep the that the people who are, and it's that's why I'm in bourbon, is because I'm around people like yourselves. I'm around Martin, CT, whatever. Uh, these are the people I want to be around. People who understand what we have, what was sacrificed, and then doesn't make it in vain, they enjoy what their freedoms are and they enjoy life for what it needs to be. And that's just kind of what this is about. And that's what's coming up. I mean, anybody who doesn't celebrate this 250th, I feel sorry for them because I mean the greatest country in the in in the world, there's no doubt by far. And you see all these soccer people coming over and they can't believe it. I mean, they're all trying to take ranch dressing home.

SPEAKER_06 40:00

I love cynical that. I mean, look, it's just like it's like any human being. No country is perfect, and no human being is perfect, and we're not perfect as a country. But having traveled to a lot of countries, been in a lot of places, I'm telling you, we are the best country in the world. We have the one thing that most countries don't have, and that's opportunity.

unknown 40:24

Right?

SPEAKER_06 40:25

Doesn't mean you get it, it's never guaranteed, but we have it. And you're 100% right. I mean, just the fact to sit down, do this tonight, share stories, which is why for me, bourbon was created. It's why I chose bourbon when you know, when you guys know the backstory from our last podcast, why I chose to go with bourbon because it just fit. It's natural. No disrespect to other spirits, but I couldn't I couldn't have sit down around the campfire or the kitchen table and broke out a bottle of gin or a bottle of you know vodka and said, hey, let's let's sit down and drink this meat and tell sea stories.

SPEAKER_05 41:10

No. It wasn't gonna happen. I mean, it wasn't gonna so, like I said, no disrespect, they have their place.

SPEAKER_06 41:17

But it's it's fitting that bourbon is truly the native spirit of America, right? And it just ties into everything we're talking about. It it's older than our armed forces, and it's been a part, integral part of our of our military since the formation of it. And it's carried on through, it's a vein that just runs through to today. And so it's part of our culture, it's part of our fabric of our country.

SPEAKER_03 41:47

I mean, the the pro prohibition would have been much earlier if there wasn't the Civil War. I mean, the Civil War like set them back so far because all of a sudden they're all fighting and they're just like I mean, you read about what Lincoln did as far uh as far as sending whiskey and and and generals. Uh what was it? He asked the question, what what whiskey does that general is that general giving to his men? And then he wanted to give it to all the other uh people because it was working so well. Anyways, uh yeah, I mean there's so much history involved with, and you know, every single war, you know, we the only tax there ever was up until 1916 was on whiskey. I mean, that's it. That was the only tax we paid for the, we paid the for the you know, the Revolutionary War, we paid for the Civil War, we paid for the war of you know, the War of 1820, all paid for by alcohol tax, which was whiskey at the time. And and somehow people don't understand how much we're getting taxed these days. I mean, you know, and they still, you know, it's funny because there's probe, they thought, well, we can start taxing income and property, and then we can get rid of alcohol. And then and then we go into Great Depression, and then they bring it back, and now they have both all the other taxes, plus they tax alcohol. And when you think about how much this country consumes on it on a daily basis, it's just like the money is that they bring in off of that in this country. You can say that our country was made on whiskey. There's there's there's no they don't teach you that when you're in grade school.

SPEAKER_01 43:40

No, they don't. But you got a fact. It's a fact.

SPEAKER_06 43:44

A great point to it, 100%. Yeah. It's uh and so you guys see, you know, we're seeing in the industry, and Greg, you speak to it. I think people are well, people are drinking less, we know that, but I think they're drinking more. With intention and quality. You know, especially within the spirits industry, the bourbon industry. I can't speak the wine, I can't speak the beer or anything else, but within our within our

Bourbon History And Whiskey Tax Talk

SPEAKER_06 44:10

within our community.

SPEAKER_03 44:11

Ohio's not slowing up. We're not.

SPEAKER_05 44:15

I mean, they had they had two guys were number four. We had two years ago.

SPEAKER_03 44:20

We had two Buffalo Trace events, one in Cincinnati, and then one in Cleveland for you know 500 bottles on a raffle. And in Cincinnati, 1,500 people show up, and in Cleveland, 2,000 people show up to a liquor store to buy 500. I mean, it's it's not there's no way. I'm just sitting there looking at the crowds. I'm like, I was gonna go up, but once Ann told me what was going on, I'm like, I have no chance. I never win anything, anyways. But to go there, and both both uh Matt and Steve that were up there, Greg knows Matt, they got nothing. So that's how strong it is, is that they want to do a raffle kind of lottery thing from you know, a couple liquor stores where you'd think you know, maybe two, three hundred people, people would get no, it's 2,000 people show up. It's crazy. So, yes, when it comes to, I think you when you got when you're talking these type of bottles, the bottles that win the the spirit, the the you know, the San Francisco Spirits, all the awards and everything, these bottles are sought after. And anybody who's smaller and either a craft distiller or blenders or whatever, and they're not a big guy trying to sell mass volume. The the slow up is definitely in the mass volume. I mean, that's that's where the slow up is. I don't see it, especially in Ohio. I do not see a slow up for allocated or these type of bottles. People and people have paid, I mean, they had two, they had one bottle of of just Eagle Rare 25 for $10,000 and it's sold. I mean, it's nuts. I mean, what sold? I mean, there was, you know, there, I mean, I was looking at you know, the what sold, and I'm just like, this is crazy. It's it's not that part is not slowing up. So it's it's good to know. Okay, you guys are in a really good thing. And you know, as as you said, Ohio was four. Now you guys are not quite in Ohio yet, correct?

SPEAKER_06 46:36

Only online. Okay. Only online. We we are working, I mean, we are it goes back to the the wind in our sails, right? Because the industry, you know, from from the big boys to even us, it's it's been hard and it's slowing down. Though I think we have a lot of, I'll call it micro momentum. I think Greg, you would agree with that. I mean, Fox News, winning the best small business in America, 250 award. So we have a lot of these great different, you know, things. I mean, I forget how many books people have put us in. So that's another great honor. We've been in like 14 books, guys. That's crazy. 14 major novels by by by major action writers, right? Jack Carr just put us in his latest novel. That's kind of cool. That's like really cool. Yeah. So so you get these things, but it's still, you know, we're working on expanding our traditional footprint.

SPEAKER_03 47:33

What's really cool is he puts you in his novel. Hopefully, it becomes a movie eventually. And you know, in like 75 years, people are like, four branches, you know, you know, it's just that's that's the cool part of it.

SPEAKER_06 47:49

So I'm gonna I'm gonna give your your audience a little Easter egg. In October, the next one of the number one streaming series that hit the that hit the net on Netflix was Terminal List. You guys ever see that one with with uh Chris Pratt?

SPEAKER_03 48:07

No, but I should.

SPEAKER_06 48:09

Watch it. So it was like the number one streaming show for Netflix when it came out. They're doing the second series. So be on the lookout for something very special in that series.

SPEAKER_03 48:23

Well, I mean, you're in your marketing of this is impressing, impressing me. I mean, and and I see a lot of people in how they do their marketing, and and it's like you're doing a great job. I mean, that's how you get it. That's uh the you can call it micro, but it's this is something that you're taking advantage of that is 100% gonna that can roll a brand, just start the ball rolling. There's no doubt about it. People want it. You the first part of any brand, as Greg knows, you gotta get good whiskey in the bottle. But then what happens after you have the good whiskey in the bottle is very, very important. And you know, you you could put the best whiskey that was ever made into a bottle, but if you don't get it out there properly, nobody's gonna drink it, you know? And it's like when they make a choice on a shelf or whatever, you gotta one, you guys have to be out there yourself personally, as you are, and Greg and whatever. And you know, I I you know, you get in into Ohio and the four branches tour, I'm on. I'm in.

SPEAKER_04 49:34

We'll hold you to it. To that point, I mean, I know Rick keeps talking about you know winning the sales, and that's exactly what we need, you know. We've got to you know the founders are awesome, got a great story, a great mission, and and a great quality product. And we're only in seven markets. Okay, you gotta have you gotta have the capital backing to really expand. You know, I'd love to be in Ohio because I know how how uh valuable the Ohio market is. Wisconsin the same way, New Hampshire the same way. There's so many markets

Bourbon Demand Then Expansion Plans

SPEAKER_04 50:05

out there that would love to have this brand. You mentioned Ann and Demic. You know, Ann has mentioned to me a couple times. She'd love to get it to Ohio. She's on the liquor commission in Ohio. And uh it's just a matter we've we've got to get the capital backing to make all that happen. So hopefully uh with a little luck and and uh good persistence we'll get there.

SPEAKER_03 50:25

Well, you're you're you you're you're working the right the right channels. I mean, Fox Business, get that out there. Tell the business people they see it, and you know, let them know, you know, that that's the also the key, what what what they're going into. And I understand, as as you were saying, it's probably not as evil, it's probably not as easy to get the capital backing as it was maybe five years ago. 100% correct. But 100% correct. But with that said, once you prove to the people that you're doing the right things and you 100% are doing the right things, the capital backing is there, right? I mean, it's there to be, but you but it's a process, as and Greg's explaining. Wind in the sails, and then you gotta kinda you you don't want to overdo it because overdoing it leads to we've seen, we see what some people who overdid it, but it most of the time, what I've seen when people overdo it, they don't have quite the same quality juice that's going in the bottle that you've got. And you're doing all the right things, and we're excited for this brand, even more so than we were last year. And we're and you got some questions there, Super Nash?

SPEAKER_00 51:47

I think you're pretty much covering everything so far. Yeah, I'm liking what I'm hearing. Okay, okay, good.

SPEAKER_03 51:55

I'm gonna get you, I'm gonna get you samples of this one for sure. Yeah, you will you'll enjoy this one.

SPEAKER_00 52:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 52:04

As far as I'll get them off of both of them. I'll send them down to you. I got a bunch of stuff to send you. And then maybe when when we're in like later July, we'll do a 250th anniversary blind tasting with all the I'll get you the, you know, we'll just do that. I don't know if I I'll know what this is. That will stand out. It it's just it it is definitely distinctive. I mean, it's you know, it's not the normal, it's not everything that you've, you know, the now now the car, as as anytime that you've been had a couple pours in your gland, you start to really pick up the caramel now. I'm picking up that caramel. So it's it's fantastic. So where are we going from where are we going next after after we celebrate this big holiday? And what's what's the direction? What's the next direction that Four Branch is gonna is gonna go?

SPEAKER_04 53:07

Well, I think it's uh well a side note to that. Uh you said the after the 4th September, I believe, Rick, correct me if I'm wrong, we are gonna be at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival this year. 100%, yes, sir. Okay, so you know, we don't have a Kentucky uh DSP license, and so of course we know we partner with with Barstown Bourbon Company, which is owned by Lofted Spirits, and Lofted Spirits will have a booth there, and so we'll dovetail with them through their booths and have product available for sale at the at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival this year. So hopefully we'll see you guys there as well.

SPEAKER_06 53:42

Oh, you'll see gracious enough to buy this. You most definitely will. They they they uh we'll have our work cut out, Greg. They gave me the case count. I think we can get it done in two days.

SPEAKER_03 53:53

Listen, I will say I will say I know that Greg signs bottles really, really well. And we and and just all I'm gonna say is in your tent, just make sure that you give him a fan. Because he can't he can't be sweating.

SPEAKER_06 54:09

That's right. Well, you know, Greg, I'm gonna ask him for more because look, if it's anything, I mean, when I went to Fort Knox with Nick last year, I did double digits by myself. So with you and me there, I don't want to sell out.

SPEAKER_04 54:26

Well, I that's the key. I mean, I I know they limited us, you know, I think we're there two days, if I'm not mistaken. And each day we can sell one of our products, not the whole range, is what I understood. And so hopefully the first day we can sell maybe the founder's reserve, the second day, you know, maybe the founder's plan or whatever we've gotten. I've gotten that over whatever. But yeah, you don't want to be you don't want to run out, you want to make sure they've got more than enough on stock. We can put it back in if we have to. We tax pay when you take it out, and we'll have a tax paid area that can hold it in.

SPEAKER_06 55:00

So yeah. So you know, the so we got that coming in September, and then we get into you know that October, November, December time frame. So our our goal during that period is we're really continuing to get our name out there. And then the bigger, I guess, strategic picture of where four branches goes next is get to 2027 and be able to expand our footprint, right? We've we've kind of taken the beach of Normandy, so to speak, but now we need to push in, we need to push in a little further and go in line. And that is the goal for 2027. You know, always be on the lookout because we will always do a special LTO every year, limited time offering for this year's Liberty Reserve. I think, you know, Greg and I, we're on the and the rest of the team, we're gonna circle up and we've got some ideas moving forward for the next one that could be really kind of really cool, really fun. I think it we we have some great possibilities and options.

SPEAKER_03 55:58

And I I mean I'll just I'll just throw this out. I mean, I think you should, it's four branches. Some of the some of the specialties that you put out should highlight each individual branch so that people collect one bottle for for all four. Yeah, okay. I'm just okay, just throwing it out there. Yeah, obviously you probably thought of that.

SPEAKER_06 56:26

So, anyways, you know, and that's the beauty of four grains.

SPEAKER_03 56:31

Yeah. Oh, and also that I will tell you that at one point you've got to put the American flag on there. Just boom. The American flag edition. I mean, you have you have so you could even you can make you could make a tank, you could make a tank version, you could make a B50, you know, you could make a fighter plane version. I mean, there's man. It's endless. It's endless. I mean, just wait, wait. I mean, think about this. Jet fuel uses distilled spirits to make jet fuel, and then you've got the bird, and somehow you tie that together. F6. I mean, I'm in for the Fero F-16 bottle. F-16 bottle.

SPEAKER_05 57:15

Anybody's listening out there.

SPEAKER_06 57:17

Our goal, the ultimate coup, and I want to be the first one. Is I want to be the first, we want to be the first company to put a barrel in space, and I will dedicate that to the Space Force. There you go.

SPEAKER_03 57:30

Oh, now we're talking wait, wait. We just need to start talking to Elon. He'll put a barrel in.

SPEAKER_05 57:37

We'll call look already. We already got the name. We'll call it space juice.

SPEAKER_03 57:41

Has anybody well here's one. I know that's not this just for fun, but has anybody ever been drunk in space? Have they tried to see what alcohol does to somebody in space? I mean, I'm willing to bet the answer is no. So, in other words, they don't want to even do the experiment to see what you know what the difference is is drinking in zero gravity. Does it that would be interesting?

SPEAKER_05 58:08

You know what? For science, for scientific purposes, they should take a couple of bottles of four branches up to space. Absolutely. In the name of research and science, put a couple of founders.

SPEAKER_03 58:21

Wait, wait, wait. All you gotta do is we gotta contact Elon and tell him he has to take take the space axe release up into space. That's right. Yeah, there you go. I mean, it's uh it's endless, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 58:40

So there are yeah, it it truly is endless.

SPEAKER_03 58:44

All right, everybody. It's like we're we're headed towards the fourth. We just keep getting. I'm glad we are able to get this one in. CT says he he had

Festivals Future Releases And Space Barrel Ideas

SPEAKER_03 58:55

when I booked this, he had a previous engagement. He is just everywhere, whether it's a bourbon event or you know, all the graduation events or whatever. I mean, the man is busy and has been doing a lot of good things for the podcast. So I want to you know throw it out there for him. We're sad, he was sad he was gonna miss it tonight because he couldn't change it.

SPEAKER_00 59:19

He's been doing some charity work too. So yeah, he's really been busy. He does.

SPEAKER_03 59:28

Sarah Evans, you know, I believe you know her, Greg. She was on the bus tour last year. She says, drinking in space would be a great experiment, says the scientist. Okay. So, all right, so let's let's finish this up. We'll do so so give us the the lowdown on the website and everything, and so how people can connect and get get what they need to get to be able to purchase what what you have through you, and just give me give us the whole that that part of the marketing, and then we'll finish up. And if you guys want to stick around for a few minutes, I don't know, because there's a couple people that probably come on and want to ask them questions. Don't worry, so and and as Rick, you know, I want you to know anytime you gotta go, just say, I gotta go, guys. That's that's kind of how this works because these guys will talk, as Greg knows, all the way into the wee nights.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:28

You know, so I won't be going into the wee nights.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:31

No, me neither. I gotta get this, my bad job, I gotta get it uploaded and get it get it going. And so let's see. Well, there was one more. Let's see. I will volunteer to drink four-branch. Oh, so Kirk put a super chat up that he'll drink, he'll actually go to space to drink the bourbon.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:49

I'm sure he's in a long line of people.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:52

Oh yeah, no doubt. All right, so what? So, how do we get how does everybody find four branches?

SPEAKER_06 1:00:58

Everybody can find us online at www.forebranches. You have to spell it out. F-O-U-R branches. And when you go there, you can see our you can go to shop right there. It's one of the buttons right up there, and it'll bring you to our different products, right? Our founders blend we still have, which that's becoming an endangered species. If you want some four branches memorabilia and some history, you buy the founders blend because it's not coming back, right? Then we've got the founders reserve, we have our continental, we have our Liberty Reserve, we have a bottle that I can't reach it because it's across from me, but we have a very big charity give back bottle, our Folds of Honor bottle. We did that's a $50 give back for every bottle purchase that goes to Folds of Honor, which does scholarships for Gold Star children and first responders and their families. So all our products are on or at

How To Buy And Final Wrap

SPEAKER_06 1:01:55

www.forebranches.com. You can hit our info at if you have questions for us. And where we myself or my wife or my partners, we respond to everyone personally. All right, then go to some marketing company that comes to what I'm speaking to you on right here, this flaptop.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:14

Well, that's awesome. And it's it's kind of like that's kind of how I am. And I was talking to Roxy. That I don't know if I can keep doing this. It's so big. It's just kind of like all day, every day, I'm getting contacted by like so many people. I'm like, uh, we gotta figure this out. It's getting bigger. And and as Greg knows, the guests that we've been having, and was so honored to have you, Rick, to come on tonight. But we've had so many guests, and it's just starting to get going. And I hope tonight's podcast, you know, you know, everybody in Ohio, go to the go to the website, you can purchase there, and they can ship to Ohio. And that's that's very that's a that's a key thing.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:00

So look, Ohio, we don't want you to be number four. We want you to be number one online.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:06

There you go. All right, everybody. Thanks, Rick. Thanks, Greg. I'm gonna we'll finish up this part of it. We'll play the final theme song, and I will get everybody I will send the invite to everybody, Facebook, to join us. That anybody who wants to. All right, www.scotchybourbonboys.com. For all things scotchy bourbon boys, we have Glenn Karen's t-shirts. Uh, we're working on some new ones. You can I'll just throw that out there. And then remember, we're on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, and also iHeart, Spotify, and Apple. And remember, whether you watch us or you listen to us, make sure that you leave us good feedback, become members, leave super chats. Thanks again to Kirk for leaving a couple super chats. And then also remember good bourbon equals good times with good friends. Make sure you drink responsibly, don't drink and drive. And super Nash, live your life uncut and unfiltered. And did I lose it? Let's see. It was here before. Okay, come on. Where did it go? Is that it?

SPEAKER_01 1:04:18

Yep, there it is. AI will take us out.