Brown County Rotary Club
The Rotary Club is pleased to welcome Ricky Johnson, co-founder of 15 Stars Bourbon, Johnson will discuss how he segued from the popcorn business as a thirteen-year-old to studying business at IU while continuing to work the family popcorn business to blending bourbons into award-winning products to producing bourbon from the same corn used in his popcorn business.
When Johnson was thirteen, his dad, Rick Johnson of Johnson Ventures, started a small popcorn business with the intention of teaching Johnson business skills and the hope of igniting a passion for entrepreneurship. Johnson continued working the popcorn business throughout high school and during summers while at IU. The summer before his junior year in college, Johnson took on a project to see if the black, red, blue, and white heritage breed corn they used for popcorn could be turned into bourbon. Johnson soon began working with Bardstown Bourbon Company in Bardstown, Kentucky where they could produce as little as one vat of mash made from the six-inch ears to test. “We tried the white dog (i.e., clear, raw, unaged whiskey) and decided we had something,” said Johnson. A junior at IU, and with his dad by his side, he took the leap into the bourbon business in 2019 by co-founding 15 Stars Fine Aged Bourbon.
Johnson earned a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University – on-the-job and point-of-need learning at its best.
15 Stars is named in honor of Kentucky’s becoming the 15th state, and hence the 15th star added to the American Flag. It also honors the craftsmen of early Kentucky in the creation of fine aged whiskey. It is committed to crafting the very finest aged whiskey to help consumers celebrate special moments. The company is a non-distiller producer (NDP), meaning that its current products are blends of Kentucky Straight Bourbons that were place in casks before 15 Stars was founded and are winning awards – its first limited release bourbon was a finalist for the best straight bourbon at the San Francisco World Spirits competition and its Timeless Reserve 14-Year-Old and 7 &15-Year Private Stock Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys each won Double Platinum at the famed Ascot Awards. For the patient connoisseur, 15 Stars is distilling and aging never-before-produced, proprietary grains such as Baby Black Corn and red, white, and blue heritage corns that are grown for the family’s Black Jewell popcorn. Patience is the watchword.
Members of the community, especially those interested in exploring opportunities to participate in projects and to be of service to our community, are invited to attend. You may also join us via Zoom using a link obtained by visiting www.RotaryClubofBrownCounty.org and clicking on the “Contact us” URL.
Veterans organizations
Veterans service organizations of Brown County have various meetings throughout the month, all meeting at the Veterans Hall, 902 Deer Run Lane.
The Veterans Hall is a government facility and is alcohol free.
Vietnam Veterans of Brown County meet on first Wednesdays.
Veterans of Foreign Wars meet on second Thursdays.
American Legion meets on third Wednesdays.
American Legion Riders (ALR) Group meets on second Wednesdays at 7 p.m.
For more information on veterans meetings or events, call 812-988-5600.
Woodworkers Club
The Brown County Woodworkers Club will meet Wednesday, May 3 at 7 p.m. at the Brown County Library. Finishing expert Tim Puro has the program.
Bridge Club
Brown County Parks and Recreation is currently seeking additional players for its Bridge Club. Those interested should contact parks and rec at 812-988-5522.
Bluebird Club
The Brown County Bluebird Club will meet on Tuesday May 23 at the Brown County Public Library at 7 PM. A video will be shown after a discussion of the current bluebird nesting season. Everyone is welcome. For information about the meeting or the club contact Dan Sparks at 812-200-5700
The Brown County Bluebird Club is again offering fully assembled cedar bluebird nest boxes for $15 each or two for $25. If interested, call Dan Sparks at 812-200-5700.
