How a House Swap Sparked a Bourbon Brand – Fernhill Station

2025-07-03

This isn’t your average bourbon origin story. It starts with a house swap — and ends with a bottle of Fernhill Station on the shelf in Australia. In the second ep with James from HP Bowlo, we hear how a simple home exchange led to a deep dive into American whiskey, inspired a brand name, and sparked a whole new obsession. We talk through the journey of building a label from scratch, balancing work and passion, and finding a flavour profile that felt like them. It’s real, it’s hilarious, and it’s exactly why we lo...

This isn’t your average bourbon origin story. It starts with a house swap — and ends with a bottle of Fernhill Station on the shelf in Australia.

In the second ep with James from HP Bowlo, we hear how a simple home exchange led to a deep dive into American whiskey, inspired a brand name, and sparked a whole new obsession. We talk through the journey of building a label from scratch, balancing work and passion, and finding a flavour profile that felt like them.

It’s real, it’s hilarious, and it’s exactly why we love indie bourbon.

⏱ Chapters:

00:00 – Intro & house swap that changed everything
01:00 – First time tasting real American bourbon
02:00 – From "what is this?" to "how do we make this?"
03:30 – Sharing bottles, chasing flavour
04:30 – Naming the brand and getting serious
06:00 – Full-time jobs vs bourbon dream
07:30 – How they 'made the cut'
08:30 – Earthy, warming, and beautifully drinkable
09:30 – People care about people

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