The Petschke Pick workshop includes a lot of standard wood-working equipment, with a few self-customized tools for breaking down the staves into “paint stick” sized paddles. Petschke also speaks fondly of being able to work with Neeley Family Distillery in Sparta, Kentucky, and the day he was given the chance to offer a trial of his product in their gift shop. Heaven Hill in Bardstown, Kentucky, and the Evan Williams Experience in downtown Louisville remain loyal partners. He remembers thinking, “Wow, this is cool! We made it to the Evan Williams boardroom!” These days, the most consistent sales continue to originate through his partnerships with distilleries. When asked what has been the biggest highlight since starting this venture, Petschke immediately recalls the day he was invited by Anne Taylor, Guest Services Manager for Heaven Hill's Bourbon Heritage Center & the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, to pitch the Petschke Pick. In a given year, he estimates being able to repurpose roughly a hundred barrels-worth of staves into tasty products to stir your drink or grill dinner.
BOURBON TOOTHPICKS CRACKED
With the help of some fire fighters from the department where he volunteers (and his 19-year-old son), Petschke crafts his products from cracked barrel staves, and parts of the barrel discarded by Kelvin Cooperage when it refurbishes used barrels for resale. The journey ultimately led him to the doors of Kelvin Cooperage and an appearance on Louisville Dream Funders, Louisville’s answer to “Shark Tank." Today, Petschke hand-makes bourbon barrel toothpicks and skewers from his home shop in Crestwood, Kentucky.
In that moment, Petschke knew he wanted to develop a bourbon-flavored toothpick to share that same experience with others. It all started with a bourbon on the rocks and a toothpick, a toothpick slowly taking on the nuances of the spirit in Tom Petschke, Jr.’s glass.
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