It seems like it’s a good week to be country star Riley Green. On Wednesday, Nov. 19, the Alabama native won three Country Music Awards. 

And on Friday, Nov. 21, his new bourbon — created in conjunction with Memphian McCauley Williams and Morningside Brands — officially launches in Tennessee and Arkansas. 

Duck Club Bourbon began with Williams, and similar to Williams’ Alma del Jaguar tequila, conservation was part of the focus from the beginning. But in this case, it’s ducks instead of jaguars. 

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“When we created the brand originally, the intent was just to create an amazing craft bourbon that speaks to the heritage of waterfowl and duck-hunting,” Williams said. 

“Some of my fondest, earliest memories were duck hunting with my father and my uncle and my father’s friends,” he said. “It’s all about the camaraderie of going out, battling the elements. … It’s raining some days; it’s really cold other days. Participating in this sport is really about experiencing nature — even in some of its most harsh conditions — and finding the beauty in it.”

Green, who took home three of the four CMA awards for which he was nominated, is also an avid outdoorsman and duck-hunter.

Green has woven ducks and duck-hunting into his personal brand story. The singer and guitarist’s Instagram handle is unironically “rileyduckman.” He is also known for wearing a wide guitar strap with “duckman” stitched into the fabric and opening his live shows with a duck call.

“I spend as much time as I can outdoors,” Green said. “The sport and the lifestyle around it are a big part of who I am. Duck Club Bourbon feels like a natural fit.”

Williams said Green was “instrumental” in helping to design the brand and the flavor profiles of each of the bourbon brand’s core expressions. That includes the Duck Club Bourbon with a 92 proof, four-grain blend of corn, rye, wheat and malted barley, and a 110 proof “High Brass” — a nod to high brass shotgun shells, which often come with more gunpowder than the average shell.

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“We say, ‘It’s High Brass, a cut above for those seeking a little more fire power,’” Williams said of the slogan, written for the bourbon that’s aged between five and eight years. “If you know, you know.”

Williams and Green say their shared love for the sport of duck-hunting, which has deep ties to Memphis, eastern Arkansas and the Mississippi Delta, made their collaboration and partnership more natural than a typical influencer collaboration.

“This is not just an endorsement deal,” Williams said, reaffirming the partnership with the three-time CMA winner. “Riley is a co-founder of the brand and a partner through and through. We’re just really looking forward to working with him to grow our brand with him.”

From the start of Duck Club, Williams said conservation was non-negotiable. In 2013, he co-founded Blue Note Bourbon. After he left that company, he founded Morningside Brands, named after his childhood street in Memphis, and began making Alma del Jaguar tequila. A portion of the tequila’s proceeds support jaguar conservation.

Williams and Green co-founded Duck Club Bourbon along with The Silent Group, an experienced whiskey developer and brand investor. The team also partnered with Ducks Unlimited and the Delta Waterfowl 501(c)3 to support wetlands preservation and ensure the habitats that define waterfowl culture remain protected for future generations. But Williams’ dedication to responsible business practices doesn’t end there.

The Memphis-founded bourbon uses 100% recycled glass for all of its bottles and a mix of new and recycled materials for labels, corks and other dry products. Its barrels also often see second and third lives, recycled for whiskey and wine production, furniture and even jewelry.

“We do look at (sustainability) all the way through because it’s critical to walk the walk and not just talk with these brands,” Williams said.

Duck Club Bourbon officially launches Friday, Nov. 21, in Tennessee and Arkansas and is available at area restaurants and retailers. The brand will be available in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas and Missouri by the end of the year.