DEI in Action: George Harrison Highlights Black History in Bourbon Tours
Louisville tourists’ appetite for Black Bourbon history remains strong.
Since The Ideal Bartender Experience opened at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience this spring, the visitor tasting – centered on the life and times of African American Bartender Tom Bullock – continues to sell out. And Bullock’s cocktail book, the first of its kind written and published by an African American author, has become a bestseller in the EWBE gift shop.
“It’s been phenomenal, and it’s taken us completely by surprise,” says George, who portrays Bullock and serves up premium Whiskeys and cocktails from his book during the tasting.
But most surprising to George were the requests he received after the “show,” when guests began returning to the speakeasy with their copies of “The Ideal Bartender,” asking him to sign them.
Recently honored by Louisville Tourism with a Louisville Ambassadors Award, George says the support he’s received from guests, from the local community and from Heaven Hill inspires him every day. Working as part of Louisville Tourism’s African American/Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force, George has made it a mission to educate people about the Black people who built the Louisville experience as we know it today.
A Newcomer on Louisville’s Tourism Scene
While George’s portrayal of Bullock has just recently catapulted onto Louisville’s tourism scene, his involvement with Louisville Tourism began several years ago. In 2016 the organization awarded him the ROSE Award for Attractions, honoring his outstanding effort to make locals and visitors feel welcome.
“I felt very fortunate to win that award. There’s always a lot of tough competition,” said George. “Of course, when you win things like that, people start to contact you, asking you to be involved in different things.”
As the floodgates opened, George and EWBE Training and Development Coordinator Andy Embry were tasked with quickly researching and pulling together The Ideal Bartender Experience. The tasting event kicked off a larger collection of exhibits and stories of the African Americans who built Louisville called The Unfiltered Truth.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” George said. “Once we started rolling out the experience, I was pretty much on every local talk show – from the morning shows at 3 and 4 in the morning to the afternoon shows.”
Even more exciting for George has been the role he and the EWBE has been able to play, promoting The Unfiltered Truth collection. In every Ideal Bartender tasting, George encourages guests to visit other Unfiltered Truth exhibits, at the Frazier History Museum, Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, Kentucky Derby Museum, Locust Grove, Louisville Slugger Museum and Roots 101 African American Museum.
In addition to George’s work on The Ideal Bartender Experience, he’s had opportunities to connect with other educators. In August he traveled to Chicago as part of a Louisville Tourism Old Fashioned meetup with NOMADNESS Travel Tribe. He helped promote The Unfiltered Truth series, served up premium Whiskeys and cocktails to the group and highlighted Black Louisville history through the lens of Bourbon.
As a member of Kentucky’s Original Black Bourbon Enthusiasts (KOBBE), a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit, George is focused on increasing the participation of African Americans in the Bourbon community. The group hosts a variety of events – from exclusive, limited-seating tastings with brand reps to Bourbon history presentations with historians and brand launches – with a goal of making Bourbon more accessible for everyone.
“One of the first things we did was raffling bottles and other items to raise money for the Chestnut Street Y,” said George. “We used the proceeds to put together part of a room that was a study area for students.”
By way of George’s involvement, Heaven Hill will sponsor the after party for KOBBE’s upcoming Bourbon & Benevolence event 6:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday, December 11 at Mint on Mellwood. The event brings attendees face-to-face with some of the Bourbon industry’s biggest brands and offers a signature Bourbon auction benefiting APRON, Inc., a local initiative that provides financial relief to food and beverage industry professionals. Heaven Hill has also provided gift basket and other items as part of fundraising efforts for the organization.
Support from Heaven Hill
Through all of George’s efforts, he says Heaven Hill has been supportive of him and the work he is trying to do.
Heaven Hill is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, and we’re proud of the work George is doing to educate tourists about the contributions of African Americans to the industry and community.
