One of the greatest rewards of my bourbon journey has been the people. Over the years, I have made lifelong friends, met legendary distillers, and experienced moments of bourbon history that I never imagined possible. Thankfully, those positive experiences far outnumber the bad ones.

Unfortunately, every hobby has its share of inconsiderate people. Bourbon is no exception.

Whether it happens during a distillery tour, a tasting, or an educational event, one person’s behavior can diminish the experience for everyone else. Here are a few moments that remind me why bourbon courtesy matters.

Over the years, I realized that these weren’t isolated incidents. They happened often enough that I began paying attention to them.

Long Road Distillery

My first negative bourbon experience happened during a tour at Long Road Distillery in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Our group of fourteen followed the guide through the distillery when four people decided their private conversation was more important than the tour itself. They laughed, talked over the guide, and ignored repeated cues that they were disrupting everyone around them.

The rest of us wanted to hear the story behind the whiskey. Instead, we listened to them. At the time, I hoped it would be my only experience like that. It wasn’t. My next experience with a lack of bourbon courtesy did not even directly involve me.

Boone County Distillery

When I was escorting guests through Bourbon country, we made a stop at Boone County Distillery. At the time, the distillery was small enough that while waiting for your tour, you could easily watch and hear the tasting that came before yours. I felt very sorry for the guide who was expertly explaining the Boone County process and their tasting procedure. During the tasting, two other Boone County employees were laughing and joking not 20 feet from the in-process tasting. No matter how many times the person leading the tasting looked over to them, they never stopped. It was uncomfortable to watch someone trying so hard to provide a quality tasting while his own coworkers unknowingly undermined him.

Town Branch Distillery

During another visit where I was escorting new visitors through Kentucky, we stopped at Town Branch in Lexington for a preset tour. This was another situation where the larger group was competing against a small subset of people who were all about themselves. They laughed, joked, and repeatedly drowned out our excellent tour guide. To make matters worse, the distillery compounded the problem by interrupting our group and adding on walk-ins during the course of the tour. This happened several times. It gave the impression that maximizing ticket sales had become more important than delivering a quality experience. When one of the guests you bring to Kentucky says to you I wouldn’t come back here, you know it was a bad experience. I have never gone back.

Being a Presenter

Since 2016, I’ve had the privilege of leading bourbon tastings for groups large and small. Every presentation has the same goal: help people learn something new while having a great time. If someone leaves knowing a little more about bourbon than when they arrived, I’ve done my job.

In the early years, audiences were incredibly engaged. They asked thoughtful questions because they genuinely wanted to learn. As bourbon exploded in popularity, I occasionally encountered the self-appointed expert who wanted to prove what they knew instead of listening. Fortunately, those people rarely become the heart of the bourbon community.

A Basic Lack of Respect

Every presenter wants the same simple thing—to be heard.

The topic doesn’t matter. It could be bourbon, history, business, or cooking. When someone has prepared a presentation, they deserve the basic courtesy of your attention. More importantly, everyone else in the room deserves the opportunity to enjoy it without unnecessary distractions.

What surprises me most isn’t when strangers are disruptive. It’s when people you know choose to carry on side conversations while you’re speaking. That feels less like poor manners and more like a lack of respect.

I still find myself wondering why it happens. Is it habit? Is it self-importance? Or do some people simply never consider how their behavior affects everyone around them? I’ve never expected everyone to agree with me. I only hope they’ll give me the same courtesy I try to give every presenter I listen to.

Bourbon has always been about more than what’s in the glass. It’s about sharing stories, learning history, making friends, and enjoying experiences together.

Good bourbon courtesy doesn’t require an expert palate or years of experience. It simply requires respecting the people around you, whether they’re leading the tour, pouring the tasting, or sitting beside you hoping to hear the presentation.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you experienced poor bourbon etiquette at a distillery, tasting, or whiskey event? What happened, and how do you think we can make the bourbon community even better?