The Story Behind The Shareholders Society

Bourbon has been, and will continue to be, a social spirit. A combination of science and art, every bourbon you have ever held in your hand has a story behind it. While plenty of bourbon brands make it a point to bring people together, earlier this year, a new entrant emerged in the space that is putting an aspect of the social side of bourbon at its core in an unusual way. Meet The Shareholders Society, which is, in their own words, “A private, by-invitation-only Business Bourbon community of Entrepreneurs, Founders, CEOs, and Investors who use exclusive access to extremely rare bourbon to open doors, strengthen relationships, unlock opportunities, and close and celebrate deals—one pour at a time.”

The Shareholders Society is a bourbon brand that curates its own bourbons, accessible only to members, along with a built-in community experience. To get an invitation, you need to be given a bottle and simply scan the QR code on the back. You’ll be directed to a splash page with a (paid) invite to the next The Shareholders Society dinner. If you choose to join, membership kicks off with a complimentary bottle of The Big Deal, a bourbon that The Shareholders Society states retails for $2,500. Thereafter, members receive quarterly shipments of three cases (18 750mL bottles) of The Difference Business Bourbon, which are intended to be shared and gifted, along with access to the annual Shareholders Society Social, where they can “connect with elite entrepreneurs, professionals, and business leaders in an environment tailored for meaningful networking” hosted by company co-founder Chris Voss.

I had the chance to speak with Nick Nanton, one of The Shareholders Society’s three co-founders, about this unique endeavor. Starting in law school, Nanton built a branding agency where he “helped a lot of people build their personal brands” based on what he learned from himself. Nanton admits he struggled between creativity and business, describing himself as a “creative guy first who had to learn how to do business so I could afford to be creative.” He stayed the course, going on to become a director, producer, writer, and songwriter with over 60 documentaries and 43 Emmy nominations. But despite the accolades, Nanton is down-to-earth, describing himself as an “immigrant kid [who] started in music” and “googled how to win an Emmy” early on and simply “followed the directions.” He later qualified The Shareholders Society as having a “strict no a-hole rule,” which sets the tone for Nanton’s approachable demeanor.  

Nanton frames The Shareholders Society as being a curated community built around a philosophy of connection. The project combines storytelling, community engagement, and participation through memorable experiences that foster lasting connections. He values depth over small talk: “I’m not interested in any shallow conversations.”

Nanton ultimately brings the people side to The Shareholders Society, and while he enjoys bourbon, that part of the equation is where other co-founders come in.

Meet Chris Voss. Former lead international FBI kidnapping negotiator, CEO of Black Swan Group, Ltd., and best-selling author of the book Never Split the Difference, Chris Voss is “one of the preeminent practitioners and professors of negotiating skills in the world,” according to the company.

Nanton describes meeting Voss for the first time: “I met Chris Voss at an event that he was having, and I didn’t want to read Chris’s book, because I read negotiation books in law school, and I was tired of reading negotiation books, but I ended up getting invited after the event to have a drink with Chris. I had a glass of wine, Chris had had a glass of Four Roses…I didn’t know the significance of that at the time.” At the time, which was when COVID hit, Nanton was hosting a lot of Facebook Live sessions and asked to interview Voss to keep the conversation going. Naturally, he thought, “if I interview him, I guess [I’d] better read his book. So I read his book [and] it ended up being one of my top 10 books of all time. It’s an incredible book. It’s way more than just a negotiation book.”

The relationship evolved from there, and Nanton went on to direct Voss’ documentary, Tactical Empathy. This took about a dozen shoots, and according to Nanton, “At the end of the day, we’d have a great dinner. I’d have a glass of wine, [Voss would] have a glass of bourbon, so I started seeing the trend here. And so one day, my idiotic mind is like, well, why don’t we do something cool in Kentucky with Chris?”

One thing led to another, and eventually, the beginning vision for The Shareholders Society was formed.

But while Nanton brought passion and skill for bringing people together, and Voss brought a deep love of bourbon and valuable insights, how were they going to actually produce bourbon?

This is where The Shareholders Society’s third co-founder, Roy Milner, comes in. Milner is the co-founder of multiple beverage-related ventures, including Blackberry Farm Brewery and Art of Alchemy Spirits, with over 25 years of experience in the field. Nanton was eventually introduced to Milner and states, “So I set up a call with Roy, and 15 minutes in, it’s like I’ve known him for 20 years, we know a bunch of the same people in Nashville.” The Shareholders Society was later officially launched in February 2025.

According to Nanton, The Shareholders Society model isn’t for everyone, he says, but it’s “for people who…want to get into a different kind of room…build deeper relationships and see what happens,” with “rare bourbon you can’t get anywhere else, that [are] actually good.”

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As of the time of my conversation with Nanton, The Shareholders Society has just over 60 members and is doing two live social events per year, including a recent gathering for cocktails and bourbon in Louisville, Kentucky, at North of Bourbon. The Shareholders Society works closely with Bardstown Bourbon Company, who specializes in distilling and producing their own spirits, sourcing from other distilleries, and collaborating with premium brands.

The Difference Bourbon: Chapter 01 The Foundation

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Classification: Straight Bourbon

Distillery: Sourced from an undisclosed Kentucky distillery(ies)

Release Date: Ongoing

Proof: 108.24

Age: NAS (Aged at least 4 years per TTB regulations)

Mashbill: Undisclosed

Color: Gold

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Tasting Notes:

An herbal backdrop of steeped green tea and florals unfolds against grounding caramel with a hint of lemon zest on the backend. On the palate, brown sugar folds into a slurry of baking spices followed by graham cracker and apricot. Light spice capped by a hint of clove on the finish transitions to more familiar caramel and brown sugar notes. This bourbon has ample pep, delivering a unique, zesty mix of flavors that awakens the taste buds.