The American Whiskey Association was founded by a group of leading American Whiskey producers and supply chain partners, united in their aspiration to support the category’s global growth and appreciation.
To achieve this ambition, we focus on our missions to promote, lead and protect and American Whiskey:
• We promote American Whiskey’s unique craft and character, as well as the contribution of the American Whiskey industry to society, the economy and the environment.
• We act as the leading voice representing the American Whiskey industry around the world.
• We protect American Whiskey’s authenticity, provenance and quality through rigorous standards, definitions, and geographic indications.
Our membership is open to distillers of all types of American Whiskey and all sizes, coming from all 50 US states, as well as industry partners, local and national spirits associations.
We believe that American Whiskey’s unique craft and character deserve to be known and appreciated by consumers around the globe. American Whiskey has its place on the shelves of all whiskey connoisseurs and enthusiasts.
Our ambition is to make American Whiskey available to adult consumers around the world, ensuring they can access, discover, and enjoy a unique range of whiskeys.
We promote American Whiskey’s unique craft and character, as well as the contribution of the American Whiskey industry to society, the economy and the environment.
We protect American Whiskey’s authenticity, provenance and quality through rigorous standards, definitions, and geographic indications.
We are the leading voice of the American Whiskey industry globally.
Michael Bilello is the inaugural president and Chief Executive Officer of the American Whiskey Association, the category’s dedicated trade group launched in 2025 with a singular mission: to make American whiskey the world’s whiskey.
Since stepping into the role, Bilello has articulated a bold vision for the category — one that acknowledges near-term headwinds like global tariff uncertainty and shifting consumer trends, while remaining emphatically bullish on long-term growth and global demand. On national business platforms, he has framed American whiskey not as a domestic luxury but as a strategic export product capable of defining U.S. premium spirits on the world stage, even in the face of trade challenges.
Bringing more than 20 years of leadership in public affairs, strategic communications, and association management to the role, Bilello blends deep policy expertise with sharp industry sensibilities. Before leading the AWA, he spent nearly a decade in the beverage alcohol sector, most recently as Executive Vice President of Strategic Communications and Marketing at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA). There, he crafted advocacy and communications strategy, served as the organization’s principal spokesman, and led the growth of SipSource, the industry’s premier wholesaler depletion data resource.
His career also spans significant public-sector leadership roles, including Assistant Administrator for Strategic Communications and Public Affairs at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and founder of Centurion Strategies, a boutique public relations and strategic advisory firm. Earlier in life, Bilello served as a commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps, deploying in support of ground combat operations in Iraq — a formative experience that shaped his disciplined, mission-oriented leadership style.
Under Bilello’s stewardship, the AWA works collaboratively with partner organizations, including DISCUS, to advocate for fair trade access, defend regulatory certainty, and promote the authentic craft and character that define American whiskey. His leadership emphasizes a balanced approach: protecting proven strengths while building new market opportunities that reinforce the category’s global competitiveness.
Bilello’s public commentary has highlighted the importance of stable market access and resilient export growth, even as industries navigate tariff volatility and consumer demand normalization. His leadership is guided by both pragmatic policy engagement and a long-term belief in American whiskey’s universal appeal.
Today, the AWA — guided by Bilello and supported by founding members including Brown-Forman, Suntory Global Spirits, Sazerac, Campari Group, Pernod Ricard, Independent Stave Company and Diageo — is advancing a focused platform to promote American whiskey’s unique heritage, protect its access to international markets, and uphold rigorous standards of authenticity and quality around the world.
