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Interview: Ian Somerhalder on how The Vampire Diaries shaped Brother’s Bond Bourbon
By Shivani Dubey | 6 February 2026 | Culture, Food & Drink
Actor and entrepreneur Ian Somerhalder discusses founding Brother’s Bond Bourbon with his The Vampire Diaries co-star Paul Wesley
Actors Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley know each other quite well. After all, they played brothers Damon and Stefan Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries for eight years. And it is this brotherly bond that they’ve channelled into their award-winning spirits venture: Brother’s Bond Bourbon, which has now officially launched in the UK.
Whiskey has always played a pivotal role in the two friends’ relationship. They’d often be found unwinding with a glass of whiskey after filming the hit teen supernatural drama. Over time, that ritual evolved into a deeper appreciation for American whiskey and, eventually, the decision to create a bourbon designed for sharing – with a flavour profile that feels as appealing to newcomers as it does to seasoned whiskey drinkers.
“The love story of The Vampire Diaries was the brothers – it was the boys – and we got to create a whiskey brand based on that brotherhood,” Ian tells me as we catch up at the brand’s UK launch event at Julie’s in Holland Park. “Whether you’re a 25 year old Gen Z woman or you’re one of us old guys, you bond over the same spirit.”
Growing up in Louisiana, Ian really looked to bourbon as a bonding instrument for people from different walks of life, when he noticed the CEO of a bank would be drinking the same bourbon as his dad, who worked as a union electrician.
“We didn’t have very much [growing up], but bourbon – it was a bonding moment that I remember as a kid – always made me feel included. Whiskey makes you feel included, it makes you feel the same, equal,” says Ian.
Fast forward a few decades later, the idea to seriously start their own whiskey label came to Ian and Paul during the Covid-19 pandemic, when they were both sequestered in the same household bubble, so they could visit each other and dream up Brother’s Bond Bourbon.
“Paul and I blended this in my kitchen for over a year to get this profile,” explains Ian. “I would be like Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future in my kitchen, working on blends with Paul. Then we would go back to the drawing table and just build, build, build. And that’s how we did it over the course of 14 months.”
The meticulously sourced all-natural ingredients and the intense attention to detail paid off. The result was a balanced and drinkable whisky that is built around a four-grain recipe that delivers structure and depth without overwhelming sweetness. This approach has earned the brand serious recognition, including multiple Double Gold awards and 90+ point scores at leading international spirits competitions.
It also helped that their 17-year friendship dynamic made the process of creating Brother’s Bond Bourbon so smooth.
“When you’re starting a business with someone, communication is everything. On television, in order to do that successfully, you have to be able to communicate quickly. Because every minute, you’re in a pressure cooker, every hour is costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. So, direct communication is everything. But how do you do that as fast as you can without offending anyone?
“Paul and I can really look at each other and say, ‘that is the dumbest idea’ and move on. So it just cuts the communication time in half and we can move faster than anyone in the world,” says Ian.
Alongside quality, Brother’s Bond Bourbon places a strong emphasis on sustainability – a cause Ian is extremely passionate about – with a long-term commitment to regenerative agriculture focused on soil health. With every bottle sold, the brand raises money to support regenerative farming initiatives, with the Regenerative Grain Straight Bourbon offering a tangible expression of this ethos through the use of locally sourced grain.
“We have the ability right now to grow regenerative grains, sequester enormous amounts of carbon and produce enormous amounts of oxygen, and that is something that can change the world,” says Ian.
In the end, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley created a bourbon brand that is rooted in a shared belief that the best moments – and the best whiskey – are meant to be enjoyed together.
“This is what it’s all about,” says Ian, pointing to the drinks before us. “It’s this community of people coming together and talking about the idea of sipping something powerful, beautiful and nuanced. That’s what makes it so special.”