Four fathers have joined forces to establish a new bourbon distillery in Garrard County. They named their company D.A.A.D., which stands for the initials of each founding member.
The CEO and principal owner, Aaron Floyd, revealed that their purpose is to make a positive impact on the community and fulfill their life’s mission.
“It was more so for the greater good, for us to fulfill our ultimate purpose in life and just ultimately give back to the community,” he said to Lex18.
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These founders want to create a special line of bourbon that reflects their own unique personalities. According to the group, it will need around $1.2 million to get things up and running, including obtaining licenses and permits.
Though two members of the company prefer to remain silent partners, all the founders are actively engaged in discussions about the profound meaning and objectives associated with the company’s name.
With this partnership, they are also determined to challenge negative stereotypes surrounding black fatherhood. They want to use their experiences in non-traditional education to highlight the value of being an involved father.
Making an example of his own experience, co-founder and father of five Antonio Santago, shared, “Growing up without a father, I had a stepfather, and I actually just met my biological father three years ago. After having a long conversation with him, he pretty much explained to me my main purpose of being a father and what I needed to do.”
Floyd, the father of a girl, also remarked, “I talk to my daughter, just normal, letting her know that some things aren’t easy. I’ll always love her; I’ll always be there for her—but I just want her to know that, through the hard work, never giving up, just to show that through everything, any trouble that you may have, anything you’re trying to overcome—just keep on going.”
Furthermore, the group hopes that the 100-acre piece of land it wants to acquire will help change people’s views. The land on Water Works Road that they seek to purchase used to belong to a well-known leader of the KKK in the area.
The KKK, in the 1970s, had a massive following. Members believed that they, as white people, were superior to blacks, Jews and other minorities. In response to the rise of civil rights movements in the 1960s, the KKK killed civil rights workers, initiated the Greensboro massacre and launched firebomb attacks at school buses.
Floyd told Spectrum News1 that they chose the location because “Garrard County is a place where we come to free our minds. We came to the nature preserves here. It’s very peaceful and relaxing.”
They want to use the distillery as a way to bring people together and show that their dream is part of the American dream.
“I know that we have a lot of mountains to climb, a lot of financial hurdles that we’re currently trying to swim through right now — but we’re just trying to be a stepping stone and just a positive impact,” Floyd expressed.
The founders aim to begin construction and open the distillery to the community by 2025.
