Brother's Bond is saving the planet with its latest release

Brother's Bond is saving the planet with its latest release

How Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley are paving the way for regenerative agriculture in whiskey production

Production | 18 Jul 2024 | Issue 30 | By Bradley Weir

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Brother’s Bond, the bourbon brand co-founded by stars of the hit television series The Vampire Diaries, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, has been a huge success since its foundation. While their initial (albeit huge) following has contributed to the early success of the company, it’s the quality of the bourbon and the passion shown by its two creators which has led to its ever-growing presence in the whiskey industry. In fact, Brother’s Bond is now one of the most-followed whiskey brands in the world on Instagram, with more than 1.9 million followers. The on-screen brothers’ off-screen bond has also resonated with whiskey lovers across the world who might otherwise have been unfamiliar with the duo’s star-making work.

 

Back in issue 17 of American Whiskey Magazine, around the time of Brother’s Bond’s creation, Wesley alluded the brand’s goal of “giving back.” This was in reference to its mission to give back a portion of proceeds to support the regenerative farming practices that fundamentally alter the way large-scale agriculture is carried out in the US. Somerhalder also mentioned Kiss the Ground, a powerful documentary which highlights the practices’ importance in maintaining the nation’s farming, and also protecting the planet. Now Brother’s Bond is putting its money where its mouth is with its latest release — a regenerative grain whiskey, made with 85 per cent regeneratively farmed grain.

 

“Our regenerative whiskey is something we said we would do five years ago to our team, and we’re doing it. It’s pretty special,” says Somerhalder. “The reason why it’s only 85 per cent is because the other 15 per cent of it is rye. For the last seven to 10 years, the rye yields in the United States have been very very poor. Why? Because of conventional agriculture.”

 

The team does have a solution to the rye problem, however, as Somerhalder continues: “One of the stars of [ecological documentary] Common Ground, Rick Clark, who’s like one of my heroes and one of the most famous regenerative farmers at this point in the world, is now growing our regenerative organic rye for Brother’s Bond, as is Gabe Brown. I’m hoping I can grow some rye down [in] the Chihuahuan desert too with another amazing Mexican regenerative farmer. We’re actually doing it. We’re putting our money where our mouth is. We are laying down regenerative grains and we’re gonna put it in a barrel.”

In 2023, the docu-series Kiss the Ground had its follow-up, Common Ground, a powerful observation of independent farmers who are implementing these techniques and educating viewers on how it benefits everybody, not just those within the agricultural sector. Somerhalder features in the documentary once again as well as serving as a co-producer. Other high-profile stars involved with the film include Rosario Dawson, Laura Dern, Donald Glover, Jason Momoa, and Woody Harrelson. Screenings are continuing to take place across the United States.

 

“One of the things that we launched off the back of Common Ground is 100 Million Acres... which is basically getting companies — and I’m talking big ones, some of the biggest grain producers in the world — to commit to changing a portion of their supply chain to regenerative within the next couple of years. And that’s really special. Because 100 million is soon going to become 200 million, and it’s a special time. From a company standpoint… we were the first ones to say coming out of the gate that we are building our company around this.”

 

It’s important when reading about regenerative agriculture to understand exactly what the practice involves, and why it’s so important, particularly in whiskey production. As Common Ground most simply explains, the concept can be broken down into four parts. The first is that regenerative agriculture does not include tillage, a process in which the soil is broken down by using a disk or a plow to eliminate weeds and plant seeds. Instead, a regenerative farmer will use specialized equipment to drill seeds down into the ground directly, leaving both crop residue and plant matter intact on the surface. This method is said to reduce soil erosion, improve soil health, and increase water retention.

A second important component is the use of cover crops, and in particular, different species of cover crops. The primary role of a cover crop is to improve the health of the soil and they are planted in between growing seasons. This is imperative as, rather than allowing the soil to become bare and exposed to the elements, it protects it, increasing biodiversity on the farm as well as enhancing water availability and protecting from pests.

Third is the avoidance of chemicals. The use of herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides is strictly forbidden in the practices of regenerative farming, and instead, the aforementioned use of cover crops can provide many of the benefits which these are believed to offer, including protection from pests. Chemical interventions may also harm the soil, leading regenerative farmers such as Clark — Somerhalder’s farming hero — to believe they could have a detrimental impact on the health of the farmers, too.

 

The final component is planned grazing and the use of animal herds to eat weeds and fertilize soil in the most natural way. This again provides benefits without the use of other practices, such as chemicals. Regenerative farmers believe that it is healthier all around to use a herd of cattle to eat away at the weeds, rather than using weed killer, for instance. 

 

These practices, for the brands that are jumping on board with regenerative agriculture (Maker’s Mark is another example), will hope to sustain whiskey production for decades to come in a manner that doesn’t just produce the best types of grain for consumers to eventually drink, but also one that will preserve the planet (particularly soil) and sustain generations of whiskey drinkers to come, in a more eco-conscious way. For Wesley and Somerhalder, the goal is to become a legacy brand that is a true regenerative spirits company. The pair still have big plans for other expressions of whiskey, but using regenerative grain is going to become the norm for Brother’s Bond in the months and years to come. The brand’s first release of a regenerative whiskey is a giant step in fulfilling the co-founders’ goal from the very beginning of its inception. It could be said that Brother’s Bond are saving the planet — one whiskey at a time.  

 

More information on the regenerative grain straight bourbon, as well as news on where to buy, can be found at the Brother's Bond website.

Tasting Notes

 

Color: Rich, deep, caramel–amber

Body: Velvety, rich campfire warmth

Aroma: Dreamy, full of sweetness and toasted oak

Taste: Campfire marshmallow, well-seasoned oak firewood, roasted buttered corn,
vanilla glaze

Finish: Warm to the very soul

Length of finish: Lingering softly, not to be forgotten

Empty glass: Sublime

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