Atlanta-Based Greenwood Whiskey Pays Homage to Black Entrepreneurship

Kweillin “KG” Gordon has found his footing in the spirits industry. With a foray into real estate and financial services, Gordon’s storied career entails being a real estate investor, turning over apartment complexes, being a money lender, owning an insurance agency and an online sports magazine.

“In the past, I was just doing these things because it made sense financially and not anything that tugged at the heartstrings,” says Gordon, CEO and co-founder of Greenwood Whiskey.

Propelled by his passion and perpetual grind for the industry, he decided to take charge of his narrative and enter a realm where he aimed for the highest accolades.

The Development of Greenwood Whiskey

In 2018,  Gordon partnered with friends Che Bailey, James Roach, and Sheldon Johns Harris to create and introduce the brand Greenwood Whiskey. Gordon met Bailey when they were business partners working in financial services. Bailey was friends with Roach and Harris, which led to Gordon meeting them and forging an instant friendship.

“We have been friends for a very long time and have been hanging out for the last 20 years,” says the Georgia Southern University alumni. “We have all done the corporate thing, and we got to a point where none of us were satisfied with doing our corporate gigs,” says the former money lender.

“We felt there was something more that we could be passionate about and build generational wealth for our families.”

The intrepid foursome brainstormed about what they wanted to do. They would visit Atlanta restaurants and notice that whiskey was not represented well on the shelves at the bar. “There is a misconception that Black people do not drink whiskey,” Gordon shares.

“We are a part of a cigar community, so we smoke cigars and drink whiskey. Every time the four of us got together, whiskey was always involved, so it made sense what to do.”

They decided they would fill that void and start a whiskey brand and a brand was born.

The Inspiration Behind the Name

The name Greenwood Whiskey was inspired by the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In early 1906, the Greenwood District had the largest number of African American businesses.

“When we were thriving in civil rights, we had an African American community that was thriving in their own way and for us that was inspiring,” says the Troy University graduate.

“We wanted to name it Greenwood to pay homage to the Greenwood District on Black Wall Street.”

Gordon expounds, “In Oklahoma, they don’t teach about the Greenwood District on Black Wall Street in schools. You have to know about it and search and find the information. Unfortunately, Black Wall Street was burned down, but we wanted to focus on those entrepreneurs that built a thriving community.”

Their brand is a celebration of Black history. “We wanted to celebrate those entrepreneurs, success, resilience and culture ,” Gordon adds. “At the end of the day that is what Greenwood Whiskey is about.”

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The Recipe

There are four Greenwood Whiskey options: Greenwood 1906, Greenwood Rye Whiskey, Greenwood Celebration Caramel Whiskey and Greenwood Rye Whiskey Juneteenth Edition. There are three different skews of their traditional flagship whiskey that is 51% rye, 44% corn, 5% malted barley and aged four years.

“We did not want to have a heavy rye whiskey,” says Gordon,  the Pennsylvania-born native. “We wanted something that had some rye in it and a little bit of spice, but also have some corn with some sweeter notes. You are going to get some hints of vanilla and citrus in our traditional whiskey.”

The Greenwood Celebration Caramel Whiskey is a blended caramel-flavored whiskey that is 70% alcohol with caramel and licorice. Greenwood 1906 is a 90-proof whiskey that is aged seven years. It is 51% rye and 49% corn.

“This one is for the people who want to know they are drinking whiskey,” says the whiskey enthusiast. “They want to feel a little sensation and feel the heat when they drink it.”

The Juneteenth Bottle Edition was released to support and celebrate the Juneteenth holiday in real time. The federal holiday is celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. The limited number of 300 celebratory bottles feature an awe-inspiring label that Atlanta-based artist Sway Jones created that entails Black figures dancing with colorful, decorative leaves surrounding them.

“This was our way to celebrate Juneteenth and shine some light on the significance of the holiday,” shares Gordon.

What sets Greenwood Whiskey apart from other whiskey brands? “Greenwood Whiskey is an experiential whiskey brand that is versatile enough to be good in a cocktail and not overpower the cocktail,” says the entrepreneur.

“A portion of the proceeds go towards Black Wall Street, the Chamber of Commerce and other nonprofits that invest in young Black entrepreneurs in the community. That differentiates us from any other whiskey brand out there.”

Greenwood Whiskey’s legacy continues to unfold as future plans include expanding the brand by experimenting with new variations and further cementing its status in the spirits industry.

“Our goal is to continue to grow and become an international household brand,” says the whiskey powerhouse. “This is bigger than whiskey. It is about community and celebrating our wins and successes.”

Greenwood Whiskey is produced and bottled in Decatur, Georgia. They are sold at select retailers, including Total Wine in Georgia, Virginia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma. It is shipped to 45 states and can be purchased online .

This story originally appeared in Cuisine Noir Magazine