HOW BOURBON BROTHERS CAME TO LIFE
“When I became a man, I put down my childish ways and collected bourbon.” – Tripp LaRue
Bourbon has a remarkable way of pulling people together. Long before this book took shape—before the mystery, the road-trip chaos, and the puzzle-filled adventure—there was simply a group of friends who loved learning good whiskey, good wine, and good company.
We called ourselves the DGC, the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Club of Greenville, South Carolina. What began as a small whiskey-and-wine enthusiast group meeting once a month for blind tastings slowly grew into years of shared bottles, inside jokes, and unforgettable pilgrimages to Kentucky.
Looking back, it’s clear how much of Bourbon Brothers grew straight out of those moments. The characters in this book are fictional, but their personalities, quirks, humor, and brotherhood are rooted in real DGC members. If you know our group, you’ll recognize the spirit immediately. If you don’t, you’re about to meet them and, hopefully, laugh along with our playful banter, mid-life insecurities, competitive streaks, and brotherly loyalty.
From Screenplay to Novel (2015–2025)
This story actually began in 2015—not as a book, but as a movie screenplay. My amateur writing goal was to capture the chaos, heart, comedy, and bourbon-soaked mystery that defined so many of our Kentucky road trips.
But each time I wrote, the world kept expanding. More layers. More history. More family heart. More of what makes bourbon culture special.
Slowly, the screenplay became too big for the screen, and over the next four years it transformed into a full-length novel with deeper characters, richer emotion, more bourbon lore, and a far more ambitious adventure.
The DGC and the Birth of the Medicinal Whiskey Charity
As the DGC matured, something unexpected and incredible emerged from our group. A few of our members helped create what became the Medicinal Whiskey Charity—now known for raising millions for sick and in-need children.
The spirit of that charity—generosity, community, lifting others up—became woven into the heart of Bourbon Brothers. It shaped the camaraderie, the mission, and the deeper meaning behind the story.
A Note on How This Book Was Written
In a world where AI is everywhere, Bourbon Brothers was crafted the old-fashioned way: countless early mornings, late nights, revisions, road trips, and years of very serious “bourbon homework.”
No generative AI was used in the writing of this novel. Just a love of story, friendship, culture, and adventure.
Why I Wrote It
Bourbon Brothers is my love letter to bourbon culture—to the friendships that grow around the tasting table and to the belief that adventure never disappears; it simply changes shape.
Ten years of memories poured into five years of writing, all in the hope of giving readers a hero’s journey filled with laughter, mystery, heart, bourbon geekery, and a reminder of the people who make life meaningful.
If this story gives you even one good laugh or one warm reminder of your own group of friends, then it was worth every minute.
Cheers,
John McKillop
Co-Founder, Medicinal Whiskey Charity
@BourbonBrothersBook
www.bourbonbookstore.com
