John Little and John Foster are two individuals with quite the whiskey pedigree attached to them. Co-founders of legendary craft distiller and independent bottler Smooth Ambler, a brand that became the gold standard for authenticity and straight shooting about what craft whiskey could/should be, the duo have done something of a reset back to simpler whiskey ventures and a commitment to handcrafting small batch offerings that are as distinctive and genuine as they are.
To get a true sense of the evolution of what is now Little & Foster Whiskey Co., you must first go back in time to when the two of them founded Smooth Ambler in West Virginia. When they first formed the partnership for this entity in 2009, it was a time when the concept of craft whiskey was still coming into focus. Though they first started with vodka, whiskey quickly became a pivot point given the brutally competitive nature of that market segment.
Like many others at the time, they turned to MGP for sourcing some whiskey; while many of those doing the same thing were not transparent around this, they were. Their labels clearly distinguished between “Old Scout” (sourced) and “Smooth Ambler” (house-distilled). They didn’t hide behind vague language or clever marketing. They told the truth.
Transparency being one part of the overall narrative, they were also really good at putting together highly regarded and sought-after bottlings from their sourced whiskey. Their Old Scout line became a series of cult favorites, noted for the quality and value offered. Blending was second nature to them, and their single barrel selections became highly prized by both whiskey clubs and retailers alike.
As Smooth Ambler’s reputation grew throughout the 2010s, it attracted the attention of bigger players in the spirits space. Pernod Ricard came knocking and in early 2017, acquired both the brand and the services of Little and Foster, providing the ultimate validation that their approach, principles, and products were dead on.
By 2024-2025, things had shifted enough for Little and Foster, as well as the American whiskey landscape in general, that the two felt it was time to go back to the basics. With neither of them any longer with Pernod Ricard, they created the Little & Foster brand name, and the two of them set off again on a new spirits adventure.
A core concept of Little & Foster is the “Tuesday whiskey” idea. Fundamentally, it is a spirit that is good enough for special celebrations, but that is approachable enough for everyday as well. It is not an allocated bottling, something only available through a lottery, etc. It is just a great whiskey that is meant to be enjoyed, not hoarded.
Tied to this are a number of fundamental beliefs by the two of them. Direct communication with consumers about what’s in the bottle and why it’s good. Transparent sourcing and production information, as was done in the Smooth Ambler days. Easy accessibility to a high-quality whiskey that all can enjoy regardless of where they fall on the scale of knowledgeable drinkers. Flavor that speaks for itself without gimmicks or over-the-top marketing.
Continuing to source from MGP, as well as other partner distilleries, Little & Foster’s plan is all about blending. With Wenzel Distilling out of Kentucky as their partner for blending and bottling , Little & Foster has initially introduced the Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon. A finely tuned blend of high rye and low rye bourbon recipes, each aged over nine years, it is non-chill filtered and bottled at 107 proof. Its design immediately showcases what they do best – selecting high-quality barrels and bringing them together in ways that create something greater than the sum of their parts.
As Little & Foster begins to grow, the duo plans to keep things to a very small scale for now, with just 35 barrels being worked within the first year. Special releases are planned, each showcasing different expressions of their blending philosophy and a return to their roots in the whiskey world. These are bottlings being made by friends and meant for friends.