By Kara Sherrer
Paige Parkerfirst got the idea for Happenstance Whiskey after she noticed a gap in the whiskey segment: Almost no brown-water brands kept women in mind as consumers, even though a significant number of whiskey drinkers are women.
A whiskey lover herself and Anheuser-Busch alum, Parker began visiting local liquor stores to scope out current whiskey offerings and figure out exactly what they were missing. At one store, a representative approached her and asked if she needed help choosing a bottle as a gift for her dad for Father’s Day.
Paige Parker
“I was caught off guard because I was looking for a bottle for myself and potentially a business idea…turns out, he gave me one,” Parker recalled. “I started diving into it more, and the data showed that nearly 40% of whiskey drinkers are women. Being part of that demo myself, it stunned me that the female whiskey consumer base was so large since it’s so stereotypically a masculine category in spirits.”
Distilling a New Spirits Brand Idea
To further refine her business idea, Parker began connecting with other female whiskey drinkers via Facebook groups. She asked them what was missing in the market, and they flooded her with comments about how they wanted a premium brand with contemporary packaging that fit into their lifestyles, with a smooth taste that was also made for cocktails.
In 2019, Parker left her job at Anheuser-Busch and began researching and developing the Happenstance Whiskey brand, drawing from her background in the alcohol industry. Then COVID hit in 2020, making it a “terrible time to launch a hospitality company,” Parker explained. “So I pivoted and decided to go to business school, which is what led me to pursue my MBA at Vanderbilt.”
At Owen, Parker took as many courses related to startups as possible. She says that Michael Burcham’s Launching the Venture was particularly helpful for further refining the Happenstance business model. She also leaned on the Owen and Vanderbilt networks to help make connections, especially given the “surprising” number of Owen alumni who have become spirit entrepreneurs. In 2021, Parker officially launched Happenstance in Nashville during her second year of the MBA program.
Crafting a “Cabernet-Style” Bourbon
Happenstance Whiskey’s flagship spirit, the Founder’s Edition, is a full-bodied, smooth, “cabernet-style” bourbon at 90 proof. The bourbon is bottled and blended in Nashville, and Parker hand-picks all the barrels herself. “I’m involved in every step of product development and formulation as the Master Blender,” she said.
Photo provided by Happenstance
The brand also just launched a limited edition nine-year-old single barrel program in June 2025, which is now available in stores. However, Parker says that more product innovations are also coming next year and that spirit lovers should keep an eye on shelves and the company website.
Over the past four years, the company has expanded to sell in five states across the South: Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and 40+ states online. Currently, Happenstance products can be found in Nashville retailers like Total Wine, the BNA airport, Four Seasons, 1 Hotel Nashville, Chief ’s, Miranda Lambert’s, and The Joseph hotel.
Happenstance already has plans to expand into more states and add more retailers to its portfolio in 2026. “It’s been exciting to connect with whiskey lovers on a local level in Nashville and now continue to reach whiskey drinkers across state lines that first met us in Nashville or are now discovering us for the first time,” Parker said.
The brand has also made its debut on the silver screen with features in Ella Langley and Riley Green’s “You Look Like You Love Me” music video, and cameos on HBO Max’s hit series “Hacks” and Lifetime movie “A Carpenter Christmas Romance.” Happenstance has also been featured at HARDY and Caleigh Ryan’s and Mitchell and Meghan Tenpenny’s weddings, with several country stars, including Morgan Wallen and Ella Langley, enjoying Happenstance at various Nashville events.
Welcoming Whiskey Drinkers of All Kinds
Photo provided by Happenstance
Part of the reason Happenstance has been able to expand so fast is its warm attitude toward all types of whiskey drinkers. While other brands claim that drinking whiskey neat or on the rocks is the “best” way to consume it, Happenstance’s more experimental approach is “drink it how you like it,” as Parker put it.
“We do really fun cocktails with Happenstance; everything from bourbon espresso martinis to traditional old fashioneds to bourbon blackberry smashes,” she continued. “We get really creative with how the product can be enjoyed. That’s something I think is unique to us as a whiskey company.”
Parker says that the overall reception for Happenstance has been positive, even though the spirits industry is so male dominated. “The community has been very excited about Happenstance, particularly the female whiskey drinker. She is thrilled that there is now a brand and a product that suits her lifestyle and palate as a frequent whiskey drinker,” she said.
As Parker continues to scale Happenstance, she’s staying true to her original vision. With each new bottle, she’s not just making great spirits; she’s changing the conversation around who it’s for.