Amanda Colomb—better known to her growing follower friends as Bourbon and Bikinis—stormed into the whiskey world in 2023, like a Kentucky tornado with a bottle of bourbon and an infectious laugh.
When I first discovered Amanda’s Instagram account, I knew I was witnessing someone who might be changing how we talk about the spirit.
Amanda has established a strong brand, now with more than 46,000 (and growing) Instagram followers and a rapidly expanding TikTok presence. She brings a unique combination of professional sommelier training and spirited personality to the world of whiskey.
From her home base near Orlando, Florida, she has created a whiskey community that welcomes seasoned enthusiasts and curious newcomers.
Disrupting Bourbon Social Media
Amanda began her Bourbon and Bikinis story with a simple observation: whiskey social media was missing something vital.
As Amanda explained during our conversation, she started her platform to “disrupt what I was seeing on whiskey social media. It’s a lot of the same-looking person, and that’s totally fine, but there wasn’t a lot of female representation doing reviews, being themselves.”
Her inspiration came from an unexpected moment in a friend’s whiskey room. “They said, wouldn’t it be funny if you started a social platform that had something completely off the cuff, like maybe you did reviews in bikinis,” Amanda recalls.
What started as a playful joke has become, after just one year since its launch, a brand that’s changing how people approach whiskey.
The great Bourbon and Bikinis concept starts, of course, with its attention-grabbing name. However, Amanda’s mission to make whiskey approachable and fun, and to cut through the sameness of traditional whiskey social media content, has helped build her unique community.
As she puts it, “authenticity tastes better than conformity.”
Tasting and Whispering
Amanda’s journey to whiskey expertise took a winding path. “I started in wine,” she said. “I’ve been in hospitality for 15-plus years on the front-of-house side. I’m actually a sommelier as well, so I trained in wine first. And I think that’s where I get a lot of my tasting notes from.”
This background gives Amanda an advantage in the whiskey world. Her sommelier training allows her to pull from what she calls a “madcap memory bank” of flavors, creating tasting notes that are both creative and accurate.
Amanda is a “super taster,” capable of detecting subtle flavor compounds that others might miss.
“I might say, this tastes like a sour grape straw,” Amanda laughs. “And people will look at me like I’m insane, but it’s because I took all those flavors and I mesh them together in my head, and like a stream of consciousness, say what comes to my mind first.”
She has also described some bourbon tastes as “marshmallow and motor oil,” others as “bubblegum and bazooka,’ and one memorable taste as holding “hints of wet lumber and Splash Mountain water.”
Amanda’s non-conformist approach has made her blind tastings a tasty subject in the whiskey community. She told me that distilleries and friends often slip her mystery shots just to watch her reaction and hear her unique flavor interpretations.
“Sometimes I nail it, sometimes I flop, but I’m always honest, game, and ready to be a whiskey whisperer.”
Reviewing and Dressing the Part
Amanda’s ratings are personal and practical, and I think they are more fun than your typical star system.
Bikini. This is Amanda’s highest rating, reserved for whiskeys that hit every point of flavor, nose, fair price, and easy for people enough to find. On her Instagram, Whiskeys that get her top bikini rating are accompanied by a picture of Amanda in a tasteful bikini in front of a wall of whiskey bottles.
Banger. For almost perfect pours, but not quite, Amanda offers her Banger rating. These are well worth buying at retail, she says, but something’s missing. On her Instagram, she pairs this rating with her in a banging halter top and a short black skirt.
Basic. Basic bourbons, she says, are safe picks for beginners or at a cocktail hour. They are typically easy on the palate but light on the excitement. Amanda’s rating outfit consists of a basic white t-shirt and black shorts.
Bust. These are the bottles you’d rather skip, according to Amanda, or perhaps pour down the drain if you’re feeling dramatic. Her visual pairing is her wearing a dreary gray blanket dress paired with a smart smile.
Collecting Experiences
When I asked Amanda if she had a whiskey bottle collection, I expected to hear about rare bottles preserved like museum pieces. Instead, I discovered something more interesting: a philosophy that whiskey is meant to be shared, not hoarded.
“I have almost 600 bottles now, and they are all open,” Amanda explains. “I wouldn’t call myself a heavy drinker. I drink in moderation. But I bring bottles home, I open them, I try them, and give my tasting notes.”
This approach reflects Amanda’s core belief that whiskey is a social spirit meant to bring people together.
The bottles in her house get emptied (eventually), and blended into “infinity” Franken-whiskeys, or pressed into service at impromptu tastings.
Amanda’s collection strategy also supports her content creation, where she shares her experiences on social media. She noted that each bottle has a story, and narratives are meant to be shared.
Building Community
Amanda’s rise as a whiskey expert is about connection, she explained. She likes to bring together “snobs, newbies, and weirdos alike “to taste, share, and laugh about whiskey.
In her reviews, she’s not afraid to offer constructive criticism and to celebrate when a distiller creates something exceptional.
“For me, whiskey is a social sport—cheering for the bold, the bizarre, and the occasional train wreck of a blend. All are welcome, and all are fair game.”
She responds to comments, engages with her community, and never loses sight of why she started: to make whiskey fun and accessible for everyone.
Five Questions with Bourbon and Bikinis
1. Randy: If your personality were a bourbon, what would be its tasting notes?
Amanda: Unique, flavorful, and unpredictable. Because you never know what you’re gonna get. I pride myself on being unique, or at least uniquely myself, and that’s so important. Those are the kind of things that I look for in bourbon or whiskey in general.
2. Randy: If your bourbon journey were a road trip, what song would be playing as you’re crossing the country?
Amanda: Probably “Country Roads.” I think it’s a great road trip song, and at its heart, whiskey or bourbon is a little bit country, and it’s all about going home and feeling at home.
3. Randy: At the end of that road trip, you pull up to the bar. What’s it going to be?
Amanda: One of my first whiskeys that started getting me into it was Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7. It’s classic, they have it everywhere, and it unites the whiskey world because everybody’s heard of it.
4. Randy: Why did God invent whiskey, and which one did he invent first?
Amanda: It’s probably his apology for making us self-aware. I definitely happened to the Scots first because they’re always a little more philosophical, and they’re really hot-blooded.
5. Randy: Have you ever been mistaken for somebody famous?
Amanda: I’ve gotten Annie Murphy, the actress from Schitt’s Creek. She plays Alexis. And I’ve also gotten a young Amanda Peet. I don’t necessarily see it, but I appreciate it as a compliment.
The Last Call
Amanda Colomb built a 46,000 Instagram following in just one year by reshaping whiskey culture with authentic and entertaining reviews. She’s created a community where everyone can discover their next favorite bottle.
For me, Amanda Colomb is proof that whiskey is supposed to be joyful, not intimidating, and that the best way to appreciate whiskey is to share it with others.
As I wrapped up my conversation with Amanda, I couldn’t help but think about what she represents for the future of whiskey culture.
So pour yourself something interesting, turn up the music, and join Amanda’s brand of delightful mischief. Who knows? You might discover your new favorite bourbon and gain a few friends along the way.
See whiskeyshenanigans.com for our full podcast with Amanda, and for more conversations with fascinating people in the whiskey world, check us out on Instagram @whiskeyshaniganspodcast Follow the further adventures of Bourbon and Bikinis on Instagram and TikTok.