- Fort Thomas native Dan Gorman launched General Thomas Bourbon in 2025, named after Union Gen. George H. Thomas, the city’s namesake.
- Each bottle features a unique QR code that animates a historic portrait of Thomas using AI, allowing the general to share stories about the Civil War, Fort Thomas or the bourbon.
- A patent-pending customization feature lets buyers create a personalized message tied permanently to that specific bottle, blending bourbon tradition with modern technology.
Fort Thomas native Dan Gorman wanted to find a way to express his appreciation for his hometown. As a Kentuckian, he decided the best way was through bourbon —the signature spirit of the Bluegrass State.
Taking his cues from George Remus Bourbon, a brand he has long admired, Gorman launched General Thomas Bourbon in 2025 —his own brand named after the late General George Henry Thomas, a former Union Army commander and the namesake of the City of Fort Thomas.
To launch his brand, Gorman bought 20 barrels of premium five-year-old bourbon from a distillery, yielding about 4,500 bottles. The brand launched with two versions: a 99-proof, very small batch made by blending and proofing down 10 barrels and a single-barrel, cask-strength release.
For Gorman, bourbon embodies companionship. Offering a pour is traditionally seen as a sign of hospitality. It’s a spirit best enjoyed slowly, giving drinkers ample time to drum up conversations. Through starting a brand, Gorman wanted his bourbon and, by extension, Fort Thomas to be a part of those intimate moments.
“I just really loved bourbon. It’s like one of those things that you have when you’re having friends over; it evokes companionship and good times to me. It’s like when I have friends over, we share a bourbon – that’s what we do.”
Although General Thomas is a small craft brand, Gorman wanted it to stand out among the many bourbons lining local retail shelves. Gorman said he wanted each bottle of bourbon to be customizable, whether it was purchased at the store or given as a gift. To accomplish this, he enlisted the help of artificial intelligence.
Each bottle of General Thomas Bourbon features a unique QR code on its label that links back to its own webpage. When scanned, a 160-year-old photo of Thomas comes to life and speaks. AI gives the general a moving mouth and a deep, bellowing voice.
The portrait, which is the same one that adorns the front of each bottle, shares stories about his Civil War service, the history of Fort Thomas or the bourbon itself. In addition, the bottle also features a patent-pending customization option that lets buyers create a personalized message, which ensures that no two bottles offer the same digital experience.
“It creates a very interesting, immersive, fun, customizable experience for every single bottle, where, if you’re keeping the bottle at home, you can put an interesting message on that bottle, whether it be a funny joke or the story of your home bar,” Gorman said. “You can let your guests listen to it. If you are giving it as a gift, that’s where it really shines, because you can customize it personally for the person you’re giving it to.”
To design the program, Gorman tapped 24-year-old Luke Weidner, a graduate of Highlands High School in Fort Thomas. Weidner, who is employed at startup Vertice AI, jumped at the opportunity.
“You would generally think that the people into bourbon wouldn’t be into AI, but it was just a fun project,” Weidner said. “Dan came to me, he had the idea for it. He’s like, ‘hey, this could be a fun way to get people in and be a disruptor in the bourbon industry.’”
Typically, middle-aged men are the main consumers of bourbon, whereas AI usage is more common among younger people. Weidner said that the brand’s application of AI offers a novel way to bridge these two different demographic groups. From Gorman’s perspective, AI allows General Thomas a chance to tell bourbon drinkers his own story.
“It really makes it a lot of fun and very different from anything else that’s out there,” he said.