HERE’S TO AN AMAZING 2013…

Happy New Year’s Eve everyone!

I trust that everyone has their plans all set for celebrating the end of 2012. Whether you’re planning to go out to celebrate with friends or staying in and making your celebration a little more low key, I hope that everyone follows 2 simple rules; 1) Have plenty of Bourbon on hand and 2) Be safe. The weather is looking to turn bad here in St. Louis just in time for this evening’s festivities so please drive safely and remember to watch out for those that aren’t at the top of their driving game this evening.

As 2012 comes to an end, I’d like to thank each and everyone one of you for being a loyal member of the Bourbon & Banter community. When I launched the blog back in February I had no idea that so many people would be interested in what I had to say about Bourbon. And then to have such a great group of folks join us in October for the 2012 Bourbon & Banter Pilgrimage…let’s just say my mind was blown. In a good way.

There’s too many things to list here that I’m thankful for in terms of what has happened to Bourbon & Banter but please know that most of them wouldn’t have been possible without all of you checking in and visiting the blog on a regular basis, following us on Twitter or Liking us on Facebook.  Thank you!

As we look towards 2013 I’m very excited about some of the things we’re planning. Next week we’ll start by exploring options for the 2013 Bourbon & Banter Pilgrimage which should be bigger and better than last year’s event. You’re not going to want to miss out on attending this year’s trip so make sure you keep your eyes and ears open for details as we begin to share them. (Might want to make sure you’re following on Twitter and Facebook. Never know when we’ll give out some sneak peek info via those channels first.)

We’re also scheduled to launch The Bourbon Directory in early 2013. The Bourbon Directory will be a resource dedicated to helping you find bars, restaurants, stores, etc. that are dedicated to helping spread the Bourbon gospel. The directory has been a top request by Bourbon & Banter readers for months now so I’m pleased to be able to announce that it’s coming very soon. (If you have a store or bar that should be included in the directory please contact me today and we’ll get you added ASAP.)

We’ve also heard from many of you that you would love to have access to more Bourbon-related apparel, artwork and products. 2013 will see us address this request on multiple fronts. For starters we’re working on some new Bourbon & Banter Barrel Strength posters that will complement our fine art prints that were launched a few weeks ago. Below you can see a few samples of what we’re designing. If you have any feedback please provide it in the comments or drop us a note directly. We also have several new designs in progress for clothing and promotional items to accompany the ones we’ve already made available via our online store.  And lastly, we’re working on a few things that will hopefully lead to us launching a full fledge Bourbon-related product store. All in all I think 2013 will see us deliver on what everyone is looking for from Bourbon & Banter and I couldn’t be happier about making it all happen.

I don’t want you all to think that I’m just a Bourbon tease since I’m telling you about things that are under the “coming soon” category. Let me instead leave you with a 2012 parting gift. In addition to more Bourbon-related products, the most requested website feature requested by readers was the additional of a Bourbon Forum where folks could gather online to ask questions, seek advice and learn more about Bourbon from other fellow Bourbon lovers. I’m happy to announce the addition of the Bourbon & Banter Forum to our online home. Available immediately, this online forum is the place to connect with fellow Bourbon lovers and engage in lively discussion about all things Bourbon.

The Forum is brand new so there’s not a lot of content available right now but in time, as all of us contribute, it will grow to become an amazing resource for the Bourbon & Banter community. I look forward to being a part of it’s growth alongside each one of you. I invite you to visit the Forum today and sign-up for an account so you can be part of the discussion. Feel free to send me your feedback and recommendations on how to make it even better. I think it’s going to be a great addition to our community for 2013.

There’s a lot more we have planned for 2013 but we’re going to keep them secret for now. I hope that our coming soon announcements and the addition of the Forum will keep you excited for now. I know that it’s going to be a fantastic year for Bourbon & Banter and I look forward to getting to know all of you better as we continue to spread the Bourbon gospel.

Happy New Years everyone and thanks again for an amazing 2012!

~ Pops