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Lisa Sawyer Derman wanted to bring bourbon from her native Kentucky to cocktail lovers in New Jersey. For help, she turned to her three twenty-something children, who, she says, “instinctively knew” how to bring bourbon to the next generation.
founder of sparta Five Springs Bourbon WhiskeyLaunched in June of this year, Deman is bringing her family’s brand to bars, liquor stores and home pubs across New Jersey. Instagram Everywhere there are pictures of the Paper Plane, this summer’s most popular cocktail made with Five Springs bourbon.
Bourbon runs deep in Deman’s roots. “Here in the Bluegrass State, we worship bourbon,” she says. “Like horse racing, bourbon is our pride and joy and the backbone of our state’s economy.” She says each Kentucky family is loyal to its chosen brand. “We love to sip it,” she says. “We might add a little to our tea or coffee or swallow a spoonful to soothe a sore throat,” she says. “Bourbon is woven into our culture, and I couldn’t leave Kentucky without that connection.”
Lisa Sawyer Derman, founder of Five Springs Bourbon Photo: Courtesy of Five Springs Infused Bourbon
After graduating from law school in Washington, D.C., Derman met her husband, Adam, from Metuchen, and then practiced law focusing on liquor regulation. They later settled in Westfield, where they had their three children. Derman continues to specialize in liquor law.
Twenty years later, DeMaine wanted to change roles and enter the alcohol industry. She moved into corporate roles, serving as general counsel at Absolut, COO at Stoli, and CEO at The Macallan. These large companies, she explains, shape consumer tastes by buying and developing alcohol brands. To approve these deals, DeMaine had to determine the value of the brands. “I would learn about their management and processes in detail,” she says. “How alcohol is differentiated, distilled, and sold—from the grain farm to the distillery to the store shelf.”
After 33 years of working closely with alcohol brands, she realized her next chapter was to create her own: “It was time for me to be a pioneer and blaze a trail for other women in this industry.” And her choice is no surprise. “Bourbon is my Kentucky heritage,” she says. “It’s not an overexposed spirit. It has huge potential and a whole new audience, like my kids, who are in their twenties and love new bourbon bars and classic bourbon cocktails.”
Determined to put bourbon “at the top of the cocktail menu,” she set up a tasting lab in her Spartan kitchen and designed a variety of naturally blended bourbons. She named the company Five Springs, after her Kentucky hometown.
Deman family Photo: Courtesy of Five Springs Bourbon
Deman and her family perfected three unique flavors, which she says are a big step toward finished cocktails. All are 70% ABV and are great as a base for cocktails or to enjoy on the rocks. The tangy Blood Orange flavor is perfect as a base for a delicious classic Manhattan, an Old Fashioned, or a “subtle and wonderful Bourbon Aperol cocktail,” Deman says. Vanilla Maple is warm and inviting, whether it’s an eye-opening espresso martini or a Bourbon Smash with mint and lemon juice. The herbaceous Honey Sage flavor is versatile, pairing comfortably with a Kentucky Mule with ginger beer, a Bee’s Knees with lemon and sugar, or a stylish Paper Plane made with Aperol, Amaro, and lemon.
Derman developed many cocktail recipes that showcase Five Springs Bourbons; you can find them here On their websiteOr, you can order a glass of Five Springs bourbon, carefully crafted by bartenders at Jersey bars and restaurants, including Meximodo by MetuchenRistorante da Benito in Union, Industry in Sparta, The Ainsworth Hoboken, Sweet Waters Steak House in Westfield and Public housing on the hillside. Cocktail lovers can buy a bottle Online Or more and more New Jersey Liquor Retailers.
“My family’s farm in Kentucky is right on a lake in Five Springs,” DeMann said. “Again, I live on a lake — Mohawk Lake — and Five Springs is extra important.”
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