David Mandell
A Visionary Spirit in Modern Whiskey
David Michael Mandell was born in September 1974. The mega-entrepreneur has chosen to keep much of his early existence out of public view, but it may be concluded that Mandell began his life, as well as his career, just about as far from bourbon barrels as one could get. He attended Washington University of St. Louis, as well as Temple University, graduating in 1999. Armed with a law degree, Mandell initially served as Counsel to the Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, then advanced to become Chief of Staff to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, overseeing a 50,000‑person agency with a $14 billion budget, helping develop its first five‑year strategic business plan.
Soon, Mandell shifted into entrepreneurship. In 2006, quit his job with the FAA and, alongside college roommate and business partner Daniel Linde, created p.i.n.k. Spirits Company, launching the first ultra‑premium spirits infused with guaraná and caffeine. When they sold the company in 2009, the success fueled a bold new vision—as well as a tidy dividend for the two friends, who used the proceeds to immediately launch their next expansive idea.
Friends Linde and Mandell in 1996, before getting into the beverage business.
In 2014, Mandell and Linde, with two other partners, co‑founded the Bardstown Bourbon Company, fueled by a vision for a collaborative distilling program that produced custom bourbon and whiskey for other brands. They envisioned a “Napa Valley bourbon distillery destination”: a place combining whiskey production with hospitality and transparency.
Construction began in mid‑2015 on a 100‑acre site near Bardstown, Kentucky. By 2016, distilling was underway. The company’s capacity quickly expanded via its groundbreaking collaborative model of crafting whiskey for brands like Jefferson’s, High West, Belle Meade, and Hirsch, while also launching its own spirits and opening a restaurant, bar, and visitors center.
Mandell explained that collaboration, innovation, respect for tradition, and transparency were core values at Bardstown Bourbon Company. Their unique program offered brands creative control while maintaining meticulous attention to detail. The success of Bardstown Bourbon Company was immediate and dramatic. Despite the astronomical cost of constructing and staffing a new distillery, the production capacity of Bardstown Bourbon Company increased fourfold between 2016 and 2019. In 2019, BBC produced 7.3 million proof gallons, up from 6 million in 2018.
Nevertheless, the restless and innovative Mandell was already planning his next venture. In September 2019, after five years as CEO, he stepped down from his role at BBC, though he remained a minority shareholder. He quickly joined the Stoli Group as President of Kentucky Owl Real Estate Company, responsible for creating the Kentucky Owl Park, a distillery and destination experience on over 400 acres near Bardstown. Simultaneously, he remained deeply engaged in the bourbon community as Chairman of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival Board of Directors.
Still unable to put aside his next grand conceptualization, Mandell’s tenure with Stoli only lasted about three years. So in 2022, Mandell, together with original Bardstown colleagues Daniel Linde and John Hargrove, launched a new venture: Whiskey House of Kentucky. Set to begin operations in 2024, and located near Elizabethtown, Kentucky, this large-scale, highly sophisticated facility focuses exclusively on custom whiskey production, employing advanced manufacturing technologies such as AI, and is designed to support brands without distractions like hospitality or bottling.
Mandell has described Whiskey House as the “next evolution of the custom distilling concept, leveraging lessons from Bardstown while aiming to reshape the contract whiskey market.”
Mandell married his wife, Alison Cooper Mandell, in the early 2000s, but it is not clear from credible sources if the couple has remained wed or if they have had children. Nevertheless, whatever his personal life holds, in his career, Mandell consistently blends strategic innovation with industry evolution. He’s not merely in the business of bourbon; he’s reshaping how bourbon is made, delivered, and experienced. David Mandell’s legacy in the craft spirits world is clear: a leader, a creator, and a driving force in Kentucky bourbon and beyond.
Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee
