OF PLEASURE AND GOOD CHEER
“ WE NEVER ANTICIPATED OUR BRAND WOULD GROW AS QUICKLY AS IT DID. SO, TO BE HERE YEARS LATER WITH DISTRIBUTION IN OVER 10 STATES IS AMAZING. MOST BRANDS DON’T SEE THAT KIND OF GROWTH IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD.” – Michael Earley, Diggs Boys Bourbon
small business owners. I wasn’t sure if I would need to shut down the business for good. It’s truly by grace and mercy that we persevered,” he recalls with a sense of triumph. Despite a smoke-filled room, the future is mighty bright for Brother Clark. He’s currently in the process of negotiating an expansion that includes a larger, more visible space to provide patrons with live entertainment. In addition to offering a wide selection of mainstream staples and boutique brands, Vintage Cigar Room also man- ufactures its line of cigars and Clark’s goal is to begin to sell the signature brand nationally. Having a cigar paired with a smooth bourbon is key, enter Diggs Boys Bourbon’s co-founder Brother Earley. With a background in real estate development and investments, he developed a passion for collecting rare whiskey and bourbons. From that love of bourbon coupled with his growing frustration of having to travel long distances to enjoy his favorite
brand–emerged Diggs Boys LLC. Along with co-founders Ernest Drum- mond and Howard Riley, the brand was officially launched on Founder’s Day 2022 with remarkable growth and increasing nationwide sales. The success of Diggs Boys Bourbon has exceeded Earley’s initial expec- tations. “We never anticipated our brand would grow as quickly as it did. So, to be here years later with distri- bution in over 10 states is amazing. Most brands don’t see that kind of growth in such a short period,” he says. Like most small businesses that start strong, success is fueled by hard work and setbacks. “Being as goal-ori- ented and competitive as I am, I tend to focus on the little things.” The global pandemic also presented huge production and operational challenges for Diggs Boys in the early years. “Federal approvals for our brand, which typically take around 30 days, were delayed to nearly six months. The distillery we initially planned to partner with halted
production to focus on making hand sanitizer.” Earley affirms. Additionally, the bottle manufacturer the start-up contracted ceased operations and relo- cated its facilities to another country, which resulted in a shortage. Con- sequently, they had to wait for more glass to become available before Diggs Boys’ first batch could be produced. Looking forward, the premium bour- bon is planning to open its distillery in
42 THE JOURNAL ♦ WINTER 2023-2024
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