Kimberly’s journey into the spirits business began as a response to a unique challenge. As a spirits enthusiast, Kimberly had a strong desire to support and promote Black-owned spirit brands, but she encountered challenges in accessing and confidently purchasing them. The more brands she discovered, the more apparent it became that not all were easily accessible locally and the overwhelming number of options online left her uncertain about which products she would truly enjoy and which would collect dust on her shelf.

Tracie Franklin, a resident of Washington, D.C., wears many hats in the world of spirits. She is a spirits educator, consultant, public speaker, writer, and distillation apprentice. Her expertise has earned her recognition on both local and national media platforms, including appearances on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Forbes, Chilled, and Imbibe magazine. Notably, in 2020, she was honored with the Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky award, where she was recognized as the best US Scotch Whisky Ambassador of the Year.