Global news service Bloomberg included Blue Run Spirits in its list of 50 startups that used innovation to survive the Covid-19 pandemic’s roughest days.

Bloomberg named one new organization per state, and Blue Run represented Kentucky.

The report states that new business startups actually boomed during 2020, and by 2021 there was an 80% survival rate. To illustrate how many businesses were able to thrive under difficult conditions, Bloomberg featured 50 businesses and their innovations.

The story details how Blue Run Spirits co-founder Mike Montgomery brought in bourbon industry veteran Jim Rutledge as a “liquid adviser,” forging ahead even as other would-be startup brands hit the brakes. Finding the right audience was one of Blue Spirits’ innovations.

“The startup is capitalizing on its core tenets — youth culture, aspiration and inclusivity — to bring high-quality bourbon to a broader audience beyond the traditional demographic of middle-aged white men,” the feature reads.

Blue Spirit hired Shaylyn Gammon as whiskey director, who has a research and development background along with a keen palate. Gammon was the creator of the wildly popular Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Old, which was chosen as Fred Minnick’s Whiskey of the Year for 2021.

The company raised $15 million in startup money and has been profitable essentially from the start, Bloomberg writes, with its first batch selling out in just two weeks. So far, 10 Blue Run Spirits whiskeys have been released, and the brand recently announced plans to build a $51 million project in Georgetown, Ky., that will include a distillery and brand headquarters.

“It’s an unbelievable honor to be recognized by Bloomberg as an innovative pandemic start up – the only spirits company on their list,” Montgomery told FredMinnick.com. “It’s the support of the whiskey community that has ultimately made us successful and we couldn’t be more grateful. We are very proud to represent Kentucky on this list.”