Hiring Senior Bourbon Sales Specialist in Louisville

Larrikin Bourbon Co. is a veteran-owned, veteran-distilled craft distillery headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, founded by former military service members who brought their no-nonsense, bold approach to bourbon production. Unlike mass-produced bourbon brands that prioritize consistency over character, we focus on high-rye mash bills, non-chill filtration, and small-batch aging to deliver bold, complex expressions that stand out in a crowded market. As we say internally, we like our whiskey bold and our team even bolder. Over the past 5 years, we’ve grown from a local Louisville operation to a nationally recognized brand with distribution across 22 states, and we’re now expanding our regional sales team to keep up with demand for our core bourbon expressions and limited-edition barrel picks.

We are hiring a Senior Bourbon Sales Specialist to lead sales and account management for our Midwest and Southeast territories, with a home base in Louisville, KY. This is not a generic corporate sales role: you’ll be the face of our brand to on-premise and off-premise accounts, building genuine relationships with bar owners, liquor store managers, and hospitality group buyers who value authentic, high-quality bourbon. You’ll be expected to bring that same bold, energetic approach to your sales work, no cold call is too cold, no account too small to prioritize. You’ll work closely with our small, tight-knit executive team (all veterans) to shape regional sales strategy, with full autonomy to test new promotional ideas and account outreach tactics that align with our brand’s identity.

Your core responsibilities will include:
1. Develop and execute annual regional sales plans for the Midwest and Southeast territories, targeting 35% year-over-year revenue growth for the Louisville hub by 2027, with quarterly milestones tracked weekly to adjust tactics as needed.
2. Build and maintain relationships with 120+ on-premise (bars, restaurants, hotels, event venues) and off-premise (liquor stores, grocery chains, specialty retailers) accounts across Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee, conducting monthly in-person visits to 25% of active accounts to ensure proper product placement, staff training, and promotional execution.
3. Lead product education sessions for retail and hospitality staff, training 500+ front-line employees annually on Larrikin’s unique bourbon mash bills, tasting notes, and cocktail applications, resulting in a 20% increase in on-premise upsell rates for our core expressions.
4. Coordinate and execute 12+ regional bourbon tasting events, pop-ups, and festival activations per quarter, generating an average of 150 new account leads per event and driving $250k+ in event-driven sales annually.
5. Negotiate tiered pricing, promotional terms, and distribution agreements with key accounts, ensuring margin targets of 45%+ for all wholesale sales are met consistently across the territory.
6. Collaborate with the marketing team to develop localized promotional campaigns, including limited-edition barrel picks for regional accounts, that drive 15% higher engagement than national campaign benchmarks.
7. Track sales performance, account activity, and market trends using Salesforce and SAP ERP, submitting weekly detailed reports to the sales leadership team to inform inventory planning and product development decisions.
8. Resolve account escalations and fulfillment issues within 24 business hours, maintaining a 95%+ account satisfaction score across all managed accounts.
9. Identify and onboard 30+ new small-batch and craft retail accounts per year, expanding our distribution footprint in underserved mid-sized markets across the assigned territory.

Our work environment is built on the values we learned in military service: integrity, accountability, and a focus on results over office politics. You won’t be stuck in a cubicle 40 hours a week: your schedule is built around account visits and events, with flexibility to manage your time as needed as long as you hit your sales targets. We host monthly team bourbon tastings, annual distillery retreats for the entire team, and partner with local veteran charities for volunteer events and fundraising activations. We also prioritize work-life balance: we don’t expect you to answer emails after 7pm or on weekends unless there’s an urgent account issue.

To be successful in this role, you need:
- 3+ years of experience in craft spirits sales, with a proven track record of hitting or exceeding annual sales targets in the bourbon, whiskey, or broader alcohol beverage sector
- Deep, demonstrated knowledge of bourbon production, tasting profiles, regional bourbon trends, and popular bourbon-based cocktails
- Comfort with up to 50% travel across the Midwest and Southeast territories, with a valid driver’s license and clean driving record
- Strong negotiation, relationship-building, and cold outreach skills, with the ability to connect with both small independent business owners and large hospitality group buyers
- Proficiency in Salesforce, basic ERP tools, and POS systems including Toast and Square for Restaurants
- Bonus qualifications: prior military service, existing relationships with Midwest/Southeast hospitality or retail alcohol buyers, experience leading bourbon tasting events, or Certified Bourbon Steward certification

This role offers competitive compensation and benefits to reward high performance:
- Base salary of $65,000-$85,000 per year, plus an uncapped commission structure of 8-12% on all net sales you generate; top performers consistently earn total annual compensation of $120,000 or more
- Full medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage for you and your dependents, with 90% of premiums covered by the company
- 401(k) retirement plan with a 4% company match, regardless of your personal contribution rate
- 20 days of paid time off per year, plus 10 paid company holidays, and 5 paid volunteer days per year to support the veteran charity of your choice
- $2,000 annual professional development stipend to cover costs for spirits certifications, industry events, or sales training
- Full travel and expense reimbursement for all work-related travel, including mileage, lodging, and meals
- Monthly $150 bourbon allowance to purchase Larrikin products for personal use or client gifting
- Access to exclusive limited-edition Larrikin barrel picks at production cost

Career growth at Larrikin is based entirely on performance, not tenure. As a fast-growing distillery, we’re constantly expanding our team and our market footprint, so top sales performers can move into regional sales director roles within 18-24 months, or transition to national sales leadership, brand partnerships, or product development as we scale. Our executive leadership team (all veterans with 20+ years of combined spirits industry experience) provides formal mentorship to all sales team members, and we cover all costs for industry certifications including the Certified Bourbon Steward program.

Our hiring process is straightforward and designed to be transparent for all candidates:
1. Submit your resume and a 1-paragraph note on your favorite bourbon and why you’d be a fit for Larrikin via the application link below. We do not require formal cover letters, just a brief explanation of your relevant experience and what draws you to our brand.
2. If your application is selected, you’ll be invited to a 15-minute initial phone screen with our HR lead to discuss your background and salary expectations.
3. Next, you’ll complete a 30-minute interview with our Sales Director to walk through your past sales experience, your approach to account management, and your knowledge of the bourbon market.
4. Final round candidates will participate in a 1-hour panel interview with the executive team, including a 10-minute mock sales pitch for a hypothetical new bar account in Louisville.
We are targeting to notify all candidates of their status by October 10, 2024, and extend formal offers to selected applicants by October 15, 2024, with a target start date of November 1, 2024. If you have questions about the role or the application process, you can reach our HR team directly at [email protected].