Fans Of The Vampire Diaries Need To Know About This Bourbon
If you are a fan of "The Vampire Diaries," a teenage television series on the CW based off books written by L.J. Smith, then we think you will be excited to learn that two of its leading men have teamed up offscreen to create a bourbon that pays tribute to their drink of choice during their tenure shooting the show. Ian Somerhalder, who played Damon Salvatore, and Paul Wesley, who played Damon's brother Stephen, have released their first bourbon, aptly called Brother's Bond. Per Entertainment Weekly, the name of this bourbon is clearly a nod to the blood brothers Somerhalder and Wesley's played onscreen. Somerhalder took to Twitter in May 2020 to share the big news, asking fans over 21 to sign up on the Bourbon's site for updates and to learn more about this venture.
Why bourbon? Wesley told Rolling Stone in May, "I think the thing that distinguishes us is that Ian and I, we drank bourbon on the television show that we did and we fell in love with it." Wesley continued, "We shot the show in the South. Our characters drank bourbon on the show. We drank bourbon off-screen. We bonded on-screen, we bonded off-screen drinking bourbon, and so when the show ended, we had been talking about creating a bourbon for years. When the show ended, it was just the perfect time to do it."
It's bourbon with a purpose
Rolling Stone reports that Brother's Bond Bourbon is a four-grain bourbon whiskey that is 80 proof straight bourbon. Its release was so highly anticipated, pre-sales were out the door before it was even available. But the relationship of its creators is equally intriguing. If you read the Rolling Stone interview, you can tell the friendship between Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder is genuine. Somerhalder even joked, "But for two dudes who spent eight years together, literally 10 months a year, every day, to then be this connected, it was a mistake ... But the bourbon is f**king great."
And Somerhalder's proclamation apparently is not celebrity hyperbole. Spy.com called Brother's Bond Bourbon a "good whiskey," despite its youth. Additionally, the site shared that, when you take a whiff, you will be treated to smells of honey and sweet corn, while the taste is "spicy" with essence of "vanilla, caramel, orange, and a little popcorn." One Twitter user wrote, "This bourbon is absolutely stunning. True story." While another shared, "It's ofFENCEive to think someone might not LOVE Brother's Bond Bourbon!!"
Another reason to be excited about Brother's Bond Bourbon is the fact that it is an alcohol with a purpose. The two actors are passionate about doing what they can to help climate change and a portion of their proceeds goes to help "regenerative farming practices." Per Regeneration International, these practices help improve the water cycle and reduce our carbon footprint.