by Mitti Hicks
June 17, 2025
Women now make up 30% of bourbon drinkers, and that number is growing.
Good Trouble Bourbon founder Dee M. Robinson is one of the few women of color at the forefront of a new era: more women are drinking bourbon than ever before.
Bourbon, rooted in American tradition, is having a cultural resurgence. The market for Bourbon is projected to reach $11 billion by 2028, up nearly 7% since 2024. The face of the bourbon drinker is also changing fast. According to Bourbon Real Talk, women now make up 30% of bourbon drinkers, and that number is growing.
Robinson was inspired by the legacy of Congressman John Lewis’s call to “get into good trouble” when she created the brand in 2018. She says each bottle was created not only to savor but also as a tool to serve a higher purpose.
“I wanted to honor the legacy of John Lewis and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When I created this, I thought about how we want to show up. We believe that bourbon is more than a drink. We say it’s a call to action and a call to gather. This brand is about connection, conversation, and positive change.”
What Makes Good Trouble Bourbon Unique
Robinson spent five years refining the recipe with an 8th-generation Kentucky master distiller. What makes the bourbon different are the vanilla and caramel notes that come together with the Nashville high-rye she chose to use. It was important for Robinson to create a bourbon that people would love.
“I believe that more people would learn to love bourbon like I do if they actually had an opportunity to drink really great bourbon,” Robinson said. “Most people say they don’t like Bourbon because of the heavy burn and I knew we could present something that smooth and satiny.”
The time she invested in getting the recipe right is paying off. The bourbon recently won gold at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, plus recent gold and silver wins at the New York International Spirits Competition. Forbes Magazine listed Good Trouble Bourbon as one of the best bourbons for under $50.
How Robinson Is Giving Back To Next Generation of Good Troublemakers
Good Trouble Bourbon is more than a drink. In the spirit of Lewis, Robinson is making sure to be an agent of change by being socially active. Robinson is on a mission to even the playing field for underrepresented youth.
Good Trouble gives back — a portion of proceeds supports the Shine Your Light Foundation, which funds youth opportunity, equity, and community-driven initiatives. Two initiatives that Robinson invested in are funding STEM programs and golf fellowships for people of color who teach youth from similar backgrounds how to play golf in the Charleston, South Carolina area.
“Kids need to see children that look like them,” said Robinson, who also serves as a trustee for the PGA Foundation. The foundation works on creating more diversity and inclusion in the sport. “In my lifetime, I had to see it to believe it.”
What’s Next For Robinson and Good Trouble Bourbon
Through her brand, Robinson said she is working on rewriting the future of the industry to one that includes more voices, stories, and seats at the table.
Since putting the first bourbon in barrels in 2018, Good Trouble has launched online, and Robinson and her team now ship to 40 states. The bourbon can be found in retailers in Chicago, and this is just the beginning.
While the flagship brand ages for at least four years, Robinson and her team are gearing up to release a limited 7-year and 10-year edition of the bourbon.
“I also have a new limited edition that will hit the market, celebrating another story of resilience with blues music,” Robinson added. “When you think about what the blues is rooted in, it’s storytelling and resilience. I decided to launch a new lemon edition that will come out this summer, celebrating the stories, hardships, and triumphs that blues music represents.”
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