Darlene Powell

Darlene is truly a bourbon enthusiast. She was introduced to the spirit by her husband and they both joined the Black Bourbon Society to learn more about their favorite spirit. To their surprise, they not only learned about bourbon but they met an incredible group of like-minded, professional people who also loved bourbon and over the years they have become family. The Black Bourbon Society is a tiered membership organization open to everyone who enjoys premium spirits and interested in gaining a deeper appreciation of bourbon. After taking several trips to Louisville and visiting multiple distilleries, Darlene knew that she wanted to share her love of America’s Native Spirit with others. She began hosting bourbon tastings at her home for friends, teaching people how to make cocktails and later obtained her Executive Bourbon Steward Certification from Stave and Thief, the first bourbon certification program recognized in the bourbon industry and the only program to be recognized by the Kentucky Distillers Association. 

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Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Darlene founded Pretty Neat to create unique bourbon tasting experiences to not only educate and showcase the bourbon lifestyle but to also develop sophisticated palates to appreciate the spirit. Bourbon is meant to be shared with family and friends. Darlene doesn’t believe in saving old bottles of bourbon. Her motto is “Crack open those bottles because there will always be more bottles of bourbon. Enjoying bourbon is about the lives you touch and the people you meet while sharing a dram of your favorite expression”.