The Pour and The Pull: Justice and a question of heritage

Justice arrives holding a scale in one hand and a sword in the other, weighing what is true, and then acting on it. Of all the cards to pull in September, this is the one that asks the most of us — because September is Bourbon Heritage Month, and Justice has a question about that word, “heritage.”

The card reveals a clear charge: carry the moral strength and unwavering integrity to uphold what is right. Evaluate honestly and fairly, be responsible for your actions, and stay aware of others. In traditional readings, Justice is cause and effect made visible — truth, accountability, and the karmic balance that follows every choice. And we all know, karma can be a bitch.

What to pour?

The Garden of Good and Evil is a drink built on the tension between good and evil. Violet in a bourbon cocktail?!! Yet,  New Dawn Bourbon sits at its center — cask strength, additive-free, nothing added to soften or hide behind. Around that honest core we build contradiction held in perfect balance: crème de violette's hidden floral depth, the bright cut of lemon, a whisper of Earl Grey bitters for discernment, a few dashes of gold glitter catching the light, and sparkling wine to lift the whole thing like a verdict. Good and evil in a single glass, weighed and poured in measure. A celebration built on precision.

And that precision, that precise definition of heritage and the credit one is due is exactly the point this month. Every September, the industry raises a glass to "America's native spirit." Justice asks us to be honest about whose heritage we're toasting. Much of the craft was built by enslaved and freed Black distillers — the hands that tended the mash and read the char on the barrel, who knew by nose when a spirit had turned the corner from raw to refined. Their palates shaped the category. Their names rarely made the label. That gap between who built the craft and who got to own it is exactly the kind of imbalance Justice exists to name.

New Dawn is the correction. Built by me, an ecologist, supertaster, and daughter of a lineage steeped in flavor. I founded this brand as a reclamation of a seat in an industry Black people helped build but were long denied the chance to own. 

Sip with purpose and pick up a bottle of our award-winning bourbon today and don’t forget to join the email list for exclusive content and offers. 

*Please enjoy the Garden of Good and Evil responsibly — New Dawn is best sipped slowly and shared with intention. 21+.