Our Story

It all started when Johnny Biggs decided he wanted to make his own bitters to mix with his cocktails. He spent time experimenting with different flavor profiles, and methods, but could never get the flavors quite right, so he started researching. And researching. And researching. Learning more and more about how various alcohols are distilled, aged, and flavored. In all that research he started to uncover different methods that people have developed to add the unique flavors of barrel aging without the years-long time commitment. In his search, he came across a few companies selling ‘flavor sticks’ that had been toasted, or charred to enhance the flavor of whiskey.  This is when he approached Chris Clarkson about the various products on the market.  So, they decided to purchase as many different variations currently on the market to compare and realized as the online customer reviews indicated they weren’t very good. Then it hit them, “We can make these and make them very good!”

The challenge to develop a superior product was on for us two engineers with completely different mindsets. We started digging deep into the whiskey process and the chemistry behind what’s going on inside the barrel between the wood and the spirits. We discovered the overall design of the stick was extremely critical to the process of advanced aging the wood. After many months and almost 600 failed attempts, we finally crafted a product that we could be proud to sell.  Bent Wood’s unique design maximizes surface area which cuts down infusion times and maximizes flavor. Delivering a product that works exceptionally well and is something people can enjoy over and over.