In the world of bourbon whiskey, Jack Beguedou may be accomplishing the impossible by bringing something wholly new to the table. For years, Beguedou, a Togolese immigrant, has been devoted to all things whisky. But it wasn't until lately that he began sharing his skills with the general public through his whiskey influencer name, Hood Sommelier. Beguedou is also selecting barrels for his own label and hosting highly sought-after tastings that combine West African food with great Kentucky bourbon.
Where did it all start? From not seeing himself or his West African immigrant friends and family represented in the bourbon and wider whiskey world. Beguedou has made it his mission to change that, via whiskey reviews online (in various formats) and bringing two disparate communities together, through their mutual love of good whiskey and good food.
We caught up with Beguedou recently, to talk about his new partnership with Heaven Hill, and his AFROFUSION concept, where West African chefs, DJs, and bartenders host parties, brunches, and tastings for anyone looking for something truly special in the whiskey game. We also talked about how a French-speaking kid from Togo got into whiskey in the first place and how our culture informs what we experience in every drop of whiskey. It was a fun and illuminating conversation.
Give us a little bit of background of how you first got into whiskey.
I got into whiskey truly as a fluke. I got into insurance about 12 years ago. It all started with me drinking Johnnie Walker and some bourbons with my mentor when he was teaching me how to golf. As my mentor, he was teaching me the ways of doing business, which means golfing, knowing good spirits, and having good conversations. And truly, it just became something that I was obsessed with. It started actually with him breaking things in my head — because I’m from a French-speaking country. I’m from West Africa. We’re drinking a lot of single malt. I’m like, “Johnnie Walker Red and Black. Black is the top one.”
