Announcing the Orlando Whiskey Alliance
After a decade of bringing whiskey lovers together, the Orlando Whiskey Society is joining forces with the Orlando Bourbon Gang to form the Orlando Whiskey Alliance — a stronger community united by the same mission: great whiskey and even better people.
When groups in the whiskey community get started, there usually is never a plan for its creation. It just… happens. People meet and become friends at some meet-up, retail drop, or bottle share. As the local fanatical population grows, the thought over time then graduates to some idea of forming a whiskey group. Maybe it was at a kitchen table or outside of a Walmart the morning of an allocated drop. But it was formed and forged there.
Then the idea of doing some barrel picks happens, so that we then have something that we can call our own… for us, for our friends, and for the local surrounding enthusiasts. And that by forging those relationships and putting our names behind these efforts, the group can provide more overall to us and our communities.
In that respect, not all groups start and evolve at the same time and pace. One group can look at another, and realize their own areas for growth are the strengths of the other. And so, sometimes the rare opportunity can present itself where the stars align, and two groups discover that becoming one is the ultimate win-win. That we are wholly better together than as individual groups.
So with that said, I am very proud to announce the merging of two Orlando whiskey groups: the long-standing legacy that is the Orlando Whiskey Society (OWS) and the Orlando Bourbon Gang (OBG). With merging, it signals the need for a name change. One that notes both the change and respects both histories properly. After a gentlemen’s meeting that involved some great pours, a name was agreed upon: the Orlando Whiskey Alliance.
It’s because of our shared core values and the conversations had in recent times that we saw an opportunity. From sourcing some of the most exclusive and sought-after barrel picks afforded us through relationships to hosting uniquely curated events never before done in the Greater Orlando Area, this now gives us the opportunity to offer truly special experiences.
More to come very soon, that I promise. But in the meantime, please know that this is only possible through the growing and thriving communities that we’ve built. Truly, we thank you for being along with us for this electric ride. We can’t wait to share with you more about what OWA has on the horizon. But get ready… the fun has only just begun!
—The Orlando Whiskey Alliance
Better. Together.