Bourbon Pursuit

How many times have you reached for a bottle on the shelf simply because the glass looked incredible or the label caught your eye? At Pursuit Spirits, we talk endlessly about what goes inside the barrel, but the multi-million dollar engineering and design process that gets that liquid onto the shelf is an entire science of its own. Today, we’re sitting down with Andrés Hernandez of Fusion Glass Mexico and Chad Michael of Chad Michael Studio to talk about custom bottles from engineering, designed, and evenutally going to market.

Andrés has the factor that specializes in 100% PCR (post-consumer recycled) glass that gives their glass a certain rustic appeal. But that process has to managing extreme temperatures, color formulation, and structural tolerances from the designer. That's where Chad comes in. He's the creative guy that can turn an idea on the back of a napkin into a bottle that looks like artwork. He spends his time understanding the brand DNA and translating that into one of a kind package design. This is an angle of the show we've never taken before and I'm sure a lot of bourbon geeks will appreciate everything that goes into the bottle you pick up off the shelf but if you're a whiskey producer looking into the custom space for something your brand can call your own, this episode is the complete package... see what I did there?
Show Notes:
How Fusion Glass Mexico approaches sustainable glass manufacturing and 100% PCR recycled glass

The step-by-step process of collecting, crushing, washing, and remaking recycled glass

How high-temperature glass forming impacts bottle symmetry, wall thickness, and weight

Chad Michael’s journey from agency design work to founding Chad Michael Studio

Using brand story questionnaires to define brand personality before designing packaging

Stock glass vs. bespoke custom molds: balancing cost, MOQs, and shelf presence

When and why growing brands should transition away from stock bottles

Technical limits of glass production: machine compatibility, GPI standards, and impact testing

The future of whiskey packaging design: balancing creative storytelling with logical, cost-effective engineering

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Bardstown Discovery 2026 brings a new name, new bottle, and a Garryana oak double-barrel finish. Rich oak, brown butter pastry, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking spice give this release a warm fall-inspired profile.DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.
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It's This Week in Bourbon for October 2nd, 2026. Scotland is experiencing a whiskey glut, Brown Forman announced the 2026 King of Kentucky, and Lost Lantern is preparing to launch its highly anticipated Fall 2026 George Dickel Collection.Show Notes:
Bourbon Mixer reaches $1 million raised for Coalition for the Homeless

Scottish distilleries pause production amid massive Scotch supply surplus

US enforces import ban on Canadian alcohol as trade tensions escalate

Copper & Kings relaunches interactive Bottle Your Own distillery experience

Brown-Forman announces 2026 release of 14-year King of Kentucky Single Barrel

Lost Lantern prepares Fall 2026 launch of rare George Dickel Collection

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The first time we had our guest on the show, we barely scratched the surface of what she has going on with the industry. It was more of a moment to remember her dad, Richard Wolf, and his impact on the industry. But now Monica is back and with a new last name of Wolf-Brown. We talk about some personal milestones before diving into how she built The Blending House in Shelby County. Monica about the state-of-the-art facility featuring a massive blending floor, seven custom rickhouses, and complete turnkey logistics for growing brands. Monica shares her take on how American whiskey's view of blending compares to scotch, wine, and coffee which leads into her latest Shang project. A cross-cultural collaboration with Whiskey House and True Essence that combines Chinese baijiu with American sorghum whiskey aged in oak.
Show Notes:
Monica Wolf-Brown returns to share updates on family life, motherhood, and how her father's legacy continues to shape her career in the bourbon industry.

Monica details the origin of The Blending House in Shelby County, built to solve storage, blending, and bottling challenges for independent brands.

The episode explores the facility's single-species yellow pine rickhouse engineering and its versatile bottling line designed for various bottle formats.

Monica breaks down her blending partnerships with clients like E.J. Curley and Jack Rose while comparing American blending traditions to scotch, wine, and coffee.

The conversation covers the Shang project, an innovative collaboration with Whiskey House and True Essence Foods blending Chinese baijiu and American sorghum whiskey.

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New Riff’s 2026 Kentucky Single Malt takes a sharp turn from bourbon with smoky, peaty, Scotch-like notes, charcoal, chocolate sweetness, and a finish that may speak more to malt fans than bourbon drinkers.DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.
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