Three friends -- based in Philadelphia -- who have been fraternity brothers for decades came together and created a spirit brand that Forbes calls one of the best in the world.
During the pandemic, Michael Earley, Howard Riley, and Ernest Drummond, who are members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated, started their company Diggs Boys Bourbon.
“We said to ourselves, we know enough people, we wish we had our own liquor," Riley said.
"I'm a scientist by nature; I was like, let’s not buy it, let’s make it," Drummond added.
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The fraternity brothers implemented the plan to start the business and began to study how to make the liquor.
“Essentially, you’re taking sugar. Sugar creates alcohol. You break that down into alcohol and then you remove all the bad stuff and leave the alcohol and the water,” Drummond said.
The friends told NBC10 that starting the business was hard. Many people initially didn't take them seriously, but they were persistent.
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“Even with us trying to partner with local distilleries and bottles here in the area, people would not call us back; they would not take us seriously," Early said.
When it came to naming the business, the friends said they needed something catchy and looked no further than their fraternity, which was co-founded by Watson Diggs, and that is how " Diggs Boys Bourbon" came about.
Last year, Forbes named Diggs Boys one of the best new bourbons and whiskeys to try and stated that the palate is "silky and smooth - beautifully balanced with alluring notes of vanilla, toffee and orange peel."
NBC10’s newsgathering partner, the Philadelphia Tribune, recently spoke to the trio about how they built their business from the ground up and what is next for them.
Diggs Boys Bourbon is available at Fine Wine and Good Spirits Stores in the Philadelphia area and Camden County.
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