About Us
We are a group of operations-focused entrepreneurs from Kentucky and Arkansas who have funded many businesses with our own capital at risk. We invest in beloved brands that create value by transforming the imperfect into the unforgettable through beautiful experiences.
We have made a series of investments in and around Bourbon, America's imperfect but beautiful native spirit. As a result, we have more opportunity than we could address alone. We formed Native Spirit Holdings as a Bourbon focused fund, inviting like-minded individuals access to an exclusive class of investments.
We believe that by placing control investments in memorable and relevant pieces of the bourbon value chain - supported by shared services, marketing competencies, and coordination across all brands - we can weave together an experience that delights visitors and achieves above market returns.
Thesis
"Elevating America's Native Spirit"
The Bourbon Trail experience is missing the connective tissue that could make it a leading global luxury leisure travel destination. Native Spirit Holdings aims to form that tissue by investing in Bourbon, Hospitality, and Tourism.
Bourbon
Acquire experience-first bourbon brands with a focus on barrel programs and community. The combination of craftsmanship and social impact that leads to a diversified portfolio with brands that resonate deeply with consumers.
Hospitality
Create memorable experiences via boutique properties around Louisville and on the Bourbon Trail. Attracting both discerning travelers and bourbon enthusiasts seeking authenticity through a rich cultural immersion.
Tourism
Parter with and acquire distilleries to facilitate high-end, connected experiences for guests. This unique blend of hospitality, craftmanship, and cultural immersion exposes the guest to the entirety of the Native Spirit portfolio.
The Team
We assembled as the outcome of the right experiences, timing, and circumstances. Bonded by friendship and forged from deep relationships within various industries. A shared history of successful endeavors, a synergistic strategy that captures the spirit of our mission, and above all else - a curiosity about the world.
Fred Gustafson