Like All Good Ideas, It Started Over Some Beer and Oysters

Inspired by the craft food movement that was just starting to take off, founder and owner Matt Jamie told his buddy over a round of beers and oysters that he wanted to micro-brew soy sauce. Mostly because no one else in the US was doing it. He had a chef's background and classical French training, but Matt knew nothing about soy sauce, or food manufacturing, or running a business. He didn't let any of that stop him. When his kids were asleep, he'd spend all his spare time researching soy sauce. He downloaded a business plan, started talking to any expert he could reach, and ignored the people who told him it would never work. When he tasted the first batch in his basement, he knew he'd struck gold.

The Bourbon Barrel Connection

Early on, Matt noticed parallels between brewing soy sauce and distilling bourbon: the aging process, the use of limestone-filtered water, and the deep heritage of craft production rooted in specific place and tradition. Japan had perfected soy sauce. Kentucky had pioneered bourbon. It only made sense that Matt was doing this here. When New York Times food writer Mark Bittman suggested Matt age the soy sauce in bourbon barrels, the response was immediate. It completes your story, Bittman told him. He was right. The bourbon barrel became the signature of everything Bourbon Barrel Foods would build.

Growing the Business the Right Way

Matt went from making soy sauce alone in his basement to leading 25 employees in a 30,000-square-foot facility in Louisville's historic Butchertown neighborhood. To fund the business while the soy sauce aged, he developed new products: smoking sea salt with bourbon barrel staves, then expanding to pepper, paprika, and more Kentucky-inspired creations. In 2015 he opened the first Bourbon Barrel Foods retail space on Frankfort Avenue. In 2016 he traveled to Japan to film a reality show with fifth-generation soy sauce brewer Toshio Shinko. In 2023 he opened a new storefront with a full tour and tasting experience. In 2024 he acquired an artisan chocolate company and launched the Bourbon Balls line.

The Three Pillars: Slow, Small, Simple

Bourbon Barrel Foods operates on three principles that have guided the brand since Matt's basement days. Keep it slow: handcraft foods the artisan way, because like fine bourbon, time creates the flavor. Keep it small: produce in small batches in Louisville, work locally when possible, stay true to who they are. Keep it simple: use natural ingredients, keep the recipes and processes straightforward, and let amazing things happen in that simplicity. These are not marketing slogans. They are the operational reality behind every product.

Matt's Mission: Educating the World About Soy Sauce

Matt Jamie was the first person to micro-brew soy sauce outside Japan. Today, people from all over the world reach out to him for advice and expertise. He has written the Eat Your Bourbon cookbook, which tells his story through his love of cuisine. He has toured Japan's historic soy sauce breweries. He has collaborated with legendary distilleries including Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Jack Daniel's, and Van Winkle. And he continues to be driven by the same things that drove him when he started: keeping it simple, taking the time to make it right, respecting tradition, and staying restlessly curious about what comes next.