At The Bourbon Review, we believe that business practices impose externalities - both positive and negative - on the world at large. It is our intention to be a constantly improving ethical brand. The first step to being an ethical brand is ensuring transparency and values. The Bourbon Review will publish an annual sustainability report every summer in which we will detail our internal audit of meeting our three pillars of social responsibility: volunteerism, donations, and pro bono advertising. Our authenticity and transparency are genuine and we will prove it to all the stakeholders of the bourbon industry.

 Our pillars of corporate social responsibility began with the question: what is best for the bourbon industry? Kentucky's land and water resources are precious and necessary to the sustainability of the bourbon industry. Our limestone water, corn, wheat, barley, and hops are all necessary ingredients in bourbon. The international recognition of Kentucky as the premier location for the distillation of bourbon is a testament to the significance of Kentucky's natural resources.

One of our first actions was performed to directly improve Kentucky's land and water resources. A stream clean-up was organized on Thursday, June 12th, 2008 - three days before the official launch of the premier edition. That morning, co-founders Brad Kerrick, Justin Thompson, and Bobby Eidson spent the morning cleaning a stretch of the Elkhorn Creek in Scott County (off Weisenberger Mill). This stretch serves as a dumping ground for refuse. Brad's full-sized pickup truck was filled with various objects, including a vacuum cleaner, 100+ glass bottles, 100+ aluminum cans, trashed building materials, an old tire, plastic bags, styrofoam cups, candy wrappers, and old paint cans. The recyclable materials were later separated and the remaining trash was properly disposed of. The Bourbon Review will continue to perform stream cleanups and hopes to partner with other organizations in these efforts. By completing a minimum of 50 hours of volunteer work per year, we are contributing direct action to improve the sustainability of Kentucky's land and water resources.

Our second pillar of philanthropy is to donate 1% of profits to causes that support our mission statement.

Third, we will use the medium of our magazine as a vehicle for increasing awareness of organizations that are a positive force for sustainability of Kentucky's land and water resources. By providing complimentary advertising to our partner organizations we hope to promote their individual causes. This was showcased in our premier issue, by providing following organizations with free advertising: The Fayette Alliance, Trout Unlimited, and The Bluegrass Conservancy.