By Ryan Slattery
Perhaps one day, Chris Stapleton will start singing about sweet Florida whiskey. That’s because Von Payne Black is making inroads not only with longtime whiskey drinkers but attracting newcomers, including women, with their smooth blended whiskey infused with black currant.
Former tech CEO Steve Allen founded Von Payne in Clearwater, Florida as an approachable whiskey his daughters would enjoy. He launched the brand in 2022 with a mission, he says, “to bring interesting people together for great conversations.”
“Often people have a negative perception of whiskey or brown spirits in general. Our goal was to give them something that would introduce them into an experience,” Allen explains. “For us, it opens a new market. It’s like the person who doesn’t like sushi, but gets the perfect sushi roll from a friend and all of a sudden it changes their mind about the whole category. We were trying to do the same thing with whiskey. It’s a process of discovery. We believe that Von Payne Black will be a hit with discerning whiskey lovers and cocktail enthusiasts. We’re changing the way people think about whiskey.”
What differentiates Von Payne from other whiskeys is its unique blend and infusion process. While flavored whiskeys are enriched with artificial flavoring, say peanut butter or cinnamon, that masks the original taste, by contrast infusing whiskey with a hint of the source flavor–in this case black currant–the whiskey retains its smell and overall taste profile.
“By infusing, and not flavoring, it adds a light additional taste that is slightly sweet and the case of black currant slightly tart notes to the whiskey,” Allen says. “It still tastes like the source bourbon we use, with an added finish. More experienced bourbon drinkers will find it similar to an old fashion, but not quite as sweet.”
Von Payne is great as a sipping whiskey over ice but Allen says it’s a versatile spirit that gives a kick to mixed cocktails and the name lends itself to some creative cocktails.
“Von Payne is excellent on its own but is also a wonderful key ingredient for cocktails,” says Allen. “We have fun with the Von Payne name creating them. For example, if you make a whiskey mule out of Von Payne, we call it a Payne in the Ass. A twist on a Kir Royale using champagne is a Royal Payne. And the Gotha-rita is our take on the traditional Margarita.”
Allen also had fun with the packaging, creating a glass, decanter-style bottle with a metal gargoyle pour spout–inspired by his visits to Paris with his wife and Notre Dame Cathedral–that makes for a wow moment and sparks intrigue and conversation.
“With a personal history being involved in fringe cultures, we built our brand around this,” Allen says. “Von Payne represents everybody’s alter ego, wanting to participate in interesting experiences and to discover a little bit more about the dark and sexy side of life. The Von Payne tribe are the people who are looking to be a part of something different. A little outside of the everyday norm.”
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Von Payne is available at retailers in nine states and online vonpayne.com
