Hiring Regional Bourbon Sales Specialist in Louisville

Larrikin Bourbon Co. is a veteran-owned, veteran-distilled craft distillery headquartered in the heart of Louisville, Kentucky, the global epicenter of bourbon production. Founded in 2018 by two U.S. Army veterans with over 20 years of combined experience in the beverage alcohol industry, we have grown 42% year-over-year for the past three years, with our small-batch bourbon and limited-edition rye expressions now distributed across 12 states in the Midwest and Southeast. Our core mission is to produce bold, unapologetic bourbon that honors traditional Kentucky distilling methods while supporting veteran employment and community initiatives across the state. We currently employ 35 full-time staff, 70% of whom are veterans, and we prioritize autonomy, transparency, and results over rigid corporate bureaucracy.

We are hiring a Regional Bourbon Sales Specialist to lead sales growth across our core four-state territory (Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee), reporting directly to the Regional Sales Director. This is not a generic liquor sales role: you will serve as the primary brand ambassador for our product lines (Small Batch Bourbon 90 proof, Barrel Proof Reserve 120 proof, and limited-edition seasonal ryes), responsible for hitting an annual revenue target of $2.2M for your territory, with uncapped quarterly bonuses for exceeding goals. You will split your time between on-site meetings with distributors, bar/restaurant accounts, and specialty liquor retailers, and administrative work from our Louisville distillery office, with flexibility to work remotely two days per week when no client meetings are scheduled.

Key measurable responsibilities for this role include:
1. Develop and execute quarterly sales plans for your 4-state territory, targeting 120 new B2B points of sale annually, with a minimum 25% conversion rate for identified prospects.
2. Manage relationships with 8 existing distribution partners, host monthly performance review meetings, resolve stock or delivery issues within 48 business hours, and maintain a distributor satisfaction score of 90% or higher via annual surveys.
3. Train 15 distributor sales staff and 30 bar/restaurant teams per quarter on product tasting notes, margin structures, and suggestive selling techniques, driving a minimum 15% year-over-year increase in point-of-sale revenue.
4. Negotiate and sign annual contracts with 20 new key accounts (high-end cocktail bars, Michelin-recognized restaurants, independent specialty liquor stores) per year, with agreed minimum stock levels and in-store brand promotion in exchange for tiered volume discounts.
5. Organize and host 12 brand promotion events per quarter (in-store tastings, VIP client experiences, 2 major regional bourbon festivals annually) to generate 500 new qualified sales leads per quarter.
6. Analyze weekly sales data via our internal HubSpot CRM and Power BI dashboards, identify consumption trends, adjust sales strategies accordingly, and present a monthly performance report to leadership with 3-month accurate revenue forecasts.
7. Ensure full compliance with Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) regulations for all sales and promotional activities, including tasting rules, promotional restrictions, and minor sales prohibitions, with zero regulatory violations annually.
8. Collaborate with the marketing team to develop custom sales materials for key accounts, and relay client and distributor feedback to product development to inform future formulation and packaging updates.

Our work environment is built for results without micromanagement: we have no strict dress code except when meeting external clients, and we trust our sales team to set their own daily schedules as long as quarterly goals are met. We offer a company vehicle with full fuel and maintenance coverage, a company phone with unlimited data, and a laptop for all field work. Our team culture is tight-knit: we host quarterly team outings (bourbon tasting tours, group fishing trips, barbecue competitions), offer 5 additional paid days off per year for veterans to observe military-related holidays, and provide a 5% profit-sharing contribution to all employees after 1 year of tenure. Veteran candidates are strongly encouraged to apply, in line with our founding mission.

Ideal candidates will have 3+ years of B2B sales experience, preferably in the beverage alcohol, CPG, or luxury goods sectors, with a strong working knowledge of the Kentucky bourbon market and U.S. spirit consumption trends. You must hold a valid U.S. driver’s license with a clean driving record for the past 3 years (required for the company vehicle), be proficient in HubSpot CRM, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Office Suite, and have a baseline understanding of U.S. state-level alcohol regulations, or the ability to learn them quickly. Strong negotiation skills, the ability to adapt communication style for everyone from small independent shop owners to national distribution executives, and a track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets are required. A bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field is preferred, but equivalent professional experience will be considered.

This role offers a clear career growth path: top performers are eligible for promotion to Territory Sales Manager, Regional Sales Director, or Distribution Partnerships Lead within 18-24 months, with salary increases of 10-20% at each promotion step.

Recruitment process and next steps: After submitting your application via email, our HR team will review all submissions within 5 business days. If selected, you will be invited to a 30-minute initial phone screen with the Regional Sales Director. Successful candidates will then be invited to an in-person interview at our Louisville distillery (we cover travel expenses for candidates coming more than 50 miles) that includes a 1.5-hour discussion of your sales experience, a guided tasting of our core product lines, and a 30-minute case study exercise focused on resolving a distribution stock shortage issue. We will provide a final hiring decision within 10 business days of the in-person interview. New hires complete a 4-week onboarding program that includes product training, regulatory compliance certification, and shadowing shifts with experienced members of our sales team.