When it comes to alcohol, there isn’t much in the way of innovation. Not much new has been seen in the space for a while. However, Von Payne Black offers us something new and different to drink. I will admit that I had never had a whiskey like this before (at least that I remember) and this whiskey has notes of Black Currant, which apparently was illegal in the US until 2015 (who knew?). Before we get into flavor, let’s talk packaging.

Display This Bottle!

The very first thing you notice about Von Payne Black is the bottle. It has an odd shape and there’s a little gargoyle at the top. Just the packaging has it all, and that’s before you taste what’s inside. If you like a bottle to display in the bar, then this is for you. It has a cool shape and the little Von Payne gargoyle on top (who needs a name, in my opinion, perhaps Malthus) which makes it great for displaying on the bar. The bottle has a great party trick too. You can pour the whiskey right out of the top of the bottle using the specialty spout. It takes a little fiddling to get the spout to work right, but the mouth of the gargoyle (who I’m now calling Malthus) becomes a pour spout for your drink! It looks so cool when you can pick up the bottle and pour the alcohol right out of the top in front of guests. I fully intend to make full use of this party trick at my next party. Pro-tip: hang on to the little stopper for the top, or you’ll have to find another way to cover it.

How It All Started

As brands go, Von Payne Black has been nothing but nice and delightful as a company. It’s always a pleasure to work with a great brand. I always like to find more information about stuff (that’s my whole thing) and so I was curious as to the how and why of this brand. The brand is not some concoction from a soulless corporate entity, it’s an independent company out of Florida and created by a nice man named Steve (relatable, no?).

Founder Steve Allen writes that, “I formulated Von Payne because of my lifetime of living in fringe cultures and the inspiration/spark provided by a day out boating with my twin daughters and their friends (all of drinking age!). I was the designated boat driver, wanting to keep my kids and their friends safe, while enjoying some adult bonding time with them. I wasn’t expecting what happened next. I watched, shocked, as they poured vodka straight from the bottle into their mouths. The painful expressions on their faces, the wincing, and their dedication to get through the moment all to “Get their party on.”

I asked, “Why??? Why not make a mixed drink or do shots of something better?” They responded, “We don’t want to get bloated and Fireball will make us sick, tequila is awful, and we don’t like Jager.”

That day I left thinking there is something missing from the market. This tribe of young women and their friends, many with tattoos and a modern sense of style, lacked a specific liquor of their own; one that would start their adventures, had a great taste profile, was as edgy as they were and would help identify them apart from the others. As young professionals, they have the means and desire to invest in their identity and their experiences. Why not turn the pain of their experience into pleasure!

Our slogan was born. “The Pleasure of Payne.”

Von Payne Three Ways

I did a whole video with three drinks that are perfect with this whiskey. Von Payne Black is great because you can have it neat (dry, harsh), with ice (great, sweeter), or in a mixed drink (ideal). I had it with coca-cola and ice, and it disappeared into the drink and was very dangerous. If you want to see me drink a quarter bottle of Von Payne Black in 2 hours during a video shoot, then you can see the full unboxing video right here:

Overall, this is a great session drink (as intended) and is something you can nurse all night long and drink by itself or as part of a drink. Whiskey snobs will likely look down on it, even though the brand has racked up 7 awards in 2022 alone. For the rest of us who deign to drink a whiskey that’s less than Lagavoulin, Von Payne Black is perfect. It truly does turn pleasure into Payne.