The founders of Diggs Boys Bourbon — Michael Earley, 43, Howard Riley, 42, and Earnest Drummond, 41, of Philadelphia — were inspired to launch their brand after many local businesses, including liquor stores, were shut down in Pennsylvania during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philly Voice reported.

The three spent time in their close-knit bubble and often held small barbecues in their backyards to maintain some normalcy during that time. When someone suggested they start their own business, the trio thought it was a great idea, but they realized it couldn’t happen overnight.

“Somebody brought up as a joke, ‘We should come up with our own liquor brand so we can sell to our friends and family while we were doing our little barbecues and get together stuff like that,'” Earley told the outlet. “We quickly came to the realization that that was highly illegal, and it’s not as easy as we thought — not moonshine and liquor out the bathtub.”

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