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Mr. and Mrs. Bourbon Co. (MMBC), an independently Black-owned business from Louisville, Kentucky, has just expanded its distribution into the Washington, D.C. metro market.
Russ Smith, a Brooklyn, N.Y. native and professional basketball player who founded MMBC in Kentucky in 2019, took his time laying the foundation for his company before ever bottling his first batch.
“I spent 7 years mentoring with some of the biggest names in the industry,” Smith says. “Watching, listening, soaking up all the knowledge I could! There is a lot of history in bourbon. As a Black man in this space, I wanted quality product on shelves and that requires time and patience.”
He is close with the likes of Wes Henderson from Angel’s Envy, Elizabeth McCall at Woodford Reserve and Drew Kulsveen at Willett. McCall, the master distiller at Woodford Reserve says “Russ is passionate and extremely driven to produce a high quality product with heart.”
Smith now has a private partnership holding more than 100,000 barrels of bourbon and has 100 years of distilling experience behind him. Smith, 33, is known to mix and mingle on Capitol Hill. When asked if he has political aspirations, Smith says “Maybe in the distant future! Basketball has been my job, but bourbon is my passion, and right now I am laser focused on expanding this company and bringing people together around bourbon.” His company MMBC just received it’s first award; a Platinum Ascot Medal for his 90 proof rye whiskey. It is one of 5 labels that are available in the market.