Hiring Sales Legend in Louisville

Nestled in the heart of bourbon country, Larrikin Bourbon Co. is a veteran-owned, veteran-distilled craft distillery that has spent the last 6 years carving out a distinct space in Kentucky’s crowded bourbon market. Unlike mass-produced brands that prioritize volume over character, we focus on small-batch, high-proof bourbons with bold, unapologetic flavor profiles, built on the values of integrity, hard work, and authenticity that define the veteran community. Our team is made up of distillers, sales reps, and brand advocates who care more about sharing a great story and a great pour than hitting generic corporate KPIs, and we’re growing fast as distribution expands across the Midwest and Southeast. We’re currently hiring a Sales Legend to join our Louisville-based sales team, a role for someone who doesn’t just sell bourbon – they live and breathe it, and know how to connect with people from all walks of life, from barbacks at local dive bars to owners of high-end liquor stores. This isn’t a generic sales job where you’ll be cold-calling strangers from a cubicle: you’ll be out in the community, building genuine relationships with account partners, sharing the story of our brand, and driving real revenue growth for a company that values its people as much as its product.

Your core measurable responsibilities will include:
1. Drive 20% year-over-year revenue growth for the Louisville metro and central Kentucky region by growing existing on-premise (bars, restaurants, hotels) and off-premise (liquor stores, specialty retailers) accounts, and acquiring 12-15 new wholesale accounts per quarter, hitting or exceeding all quarterly sales targets set by leadership.
2. Manage end-to-end relationships for 60+ existing wholesale accounts, resolving order issues, inventory gaps, or promotional questions within 24 hours to maintain a 96%+ account retention rate, and identifying upsell opportunities to increase per-account revenue by 15% annually.
3. Conduct in-person product education sessions for 250+ retail and hospitality staff per quarter, teaching the history of Larrikin Bourbon, tasting notes for our core product line, and effective upselling tactics that drive a 15% increase in per-unit sales at partner locations.
4. Represent Larrikin Bourbon at 12+ regional trade shows, bourbon festivals, and industry events per year, setting up and managing brand booths, leading tasting sessions for attendees, and generating 100+ qualified new leads per event to feed into the sales pipeline.
5. Collaborate with the marketing team to develop and execute localized promotional campaigns for key accounts, track campaign performance via our CRM tools, and adjust sales tactics to increase promotional ROI by 25% annually.
6. Maintain detailed, up-to-date records of all sales interactions, account notes, and regional market trends in Salesforce, generating weekly and monthly sales reports for leadership to inform product development, distribution, and marketing strategy.
7. Monitor competitor activity and pricing in the region, provide actionable insights to the leadership team, and adjust promotional tactics or pricing strategies to maintain or grow our market share in the core Kentucky territory.
8. Work with the distilling team to provide feedback from accounts and customers on product preferences, supporting new product development and launch strategies for upcoming releases.

Our work environment is built on trust and autonomy, not micromanagement. As a veteran-led team, we value honesty, accountability, and a good sense of humor – you’ll find no stuffy corporate policies or unnecessary red tape here. We offer flexible scheduling for field work, regular team bourbon tastings, quarterly team retreats, and a culture where your ideas are welcome, no matter your tenure with the company. We prioritize work-life balance and understand that sales roles require time in the field, so we offer flexible hours to accommodate client needs without requiring late nights or weekend work outside of scheduled events.

To qualify for this role, you will need: 3+ years of B2B sales experience in the alcohol, beverage, or hospitality industry, with a proven track record of exceeding sales targets in previous roles. Deep, demonstrable knowledge of Kentucky bourbon, including production processes, core flavor profiles, and current industry trends – you will be required to pass a bourbon knowledge assessment as part of the interview process. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport with everyone from entry-level hospitality staff to C-suite decision-makers at retail chains. A valid driver’s license and clean driving record, as this role requires regular travel to accounts across the Louisville metro and central Kentucky region, with a company vehicle provided for work-related travel. The ability to lift 50 lbs regularly for setting up event displays, restocking shelves at partner locations, and transporting product samples. You must be 21 years of age or older, as required for roles involving the sale and promotion of alcoholic beverages.

We use a range of standard industry tools to support your work, including Salesforce for CRM and account management, HubSpot for lead tracking, Microsoft Office Suite for reporting and presentation creation, POS systems including Toast and Square for Restaurants to track partner sales performance, and social media platforms including Instagram and TikTok to support event promotion and brand storytelling.

In terms of compensation and benefits, we offer a base salary of $55,000 to $65,000 per year, plus an uncapped commission structure that pays 5% of all sales revenue you generate, with top performers earning an additional $20,000 or more annually in commission. We provide a full benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, with 100% of employee premiums covered and 50% of dependent premiums covered. You’ll receive 10 days of paid time off per year, in addition to 12 paid company holidays and your birthday off each year. We offer a monthly $150 professional development stipend that can be used for bourbon certification courses, sales training, or tickets to industry events. All employees receive free access to Larrikin Bourbon products for personal use and client entertainment, and we offer 401(k) matching up to 4% of your salary. You’ll also get monthly team lunches and quarterly team events including distillery tours, private bourbon tastings, and industry mixers.

For career growth, we have a clear path for advancement: top-performing sales reps can move into Senior Sales Manager, Regional Sales Director, or Brand Ambassador roles within 12 to 18 months of hire. As we expand distribution to 5 new states over the next 2 years, there will be opportunities to lead new territory expansions and build sales teams from the ground up. You will also have the chance to work closely with our distilling and marketing teams to shape product launches and brand strategy, gaining cross-functional experience that can lead to leadership roles across the business.

Our hiring process is straightforward: submit your resume and a 1-paragraph note about your favorite bourbon and a time you exceeded a sales target to [email protected] by October 15, 2024. If your application is selected, you will have a 15-minute phone screen with our Operations Lead on October 18 or 19. Next, you will be invited to a 1-hour in-person interview at our Louisville distillery with the Sales Director and Head of Operations, including a brief bourbon knowledge quiz and a role-play sales scenario with a mock retail account. Final candidates will be invited to a team lunch on October 25 to meet the rest of the team. We expect to make offers to successful candidates by October 30, 2024, with a target start date of November 11, 2024. If you do not hear back from us within 2 weeks of submitting your application, we will unfortunately not be moving forward with your candidacy at this time.