What if whisky didn’t make your throat burn? What if, instead, it tasted comforting and slightly sweet, like a candy your grandma might keep in her purse?

That’s the idea behind Duke & Dame Salted Caramel Flavored Whisky. It’s the brainchild of Chima Burey and Amani Macaulay, friends who met in New York and later moved to South Florida to see if their idea had legs.

Spoiler alert: It did.

The guys launched Duke & Dame in 2018. Today, you can order Duke & Dame in restaurants and on cruise ships. It’s on the shelves at Total Wine & More, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Walmart Liquors and now Publix, as of July 10. That same day, Oprah Winfrey featured the whisky on her O List, a roundup of products that have the media mogul’s blessing.

Dalia recently chatted with Amani and Chima. In this conversation, the guys share how they came up with the idea for Duke & Dame, their journey as Black entrepreneurs in the spirits industry and advice for what to do with the great idea you’ve been sitting on.

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