Date: October 18, 2025

Over the past few months, we embarked on a bold experiment: What if learning about artificial intelligence didn't have to feel like work? What if we could make it engaging, memorable, and dare we say, delicious?

That's how Whiskey & Workflows was born, a campaign that paired Microsoft Copilot AI insights with distinctive whiskeys from Willie's Distillery, culminating in an unforgettable live event at Missouri River Brewing Company in Montana. The response was overwhelming, the energy was electric, and the whiskey was exceptional.

Today, we want to share the story of this campaign, the insights we uncovered, and the incredible enthusiasm from business leaders who discovered that AI and whiskey make a surprisingly perfect pairing.

The Concept: Making AI Accessible, One Pour at a Time

Artificial intelligence can feel intimidating. For many small and midsized businesses, it's shrouded in technical jargon, security concerns, and uncertainty about where to even begin. We recognized that business leaders needed more than just white papers and webinars, they needed an experience that made AI feel approachable, practical, and even enjoyable.

That's when inspiration struck: What if we paired each aspect of Copilot AI with a distinctive whiskey? Each blog post would explore a different business function where Copilot delivers value, matched with a whiskey that embodied the spirit of that transformation. The campaign would build toward a live event where attendees could taste the whiskeys, see Copilot in action, and learn how to build their own AI agents.

The result? A campaign that educated, entertained, and empowered business leaders across Montana.

The Campaign: Five Whiskeys, Five Business Transformations

Over several weeks, we published a series of blog posts, each pairing a Willie's Distillery whiskey with a specific Copilot use case. Here's how each pairing came together:

Honey Moonshine + Marketing Automation

We started with something smooth and approachable: Honey Moonshine. Just as this spirit smooths out every sip, Copilot streamlines marketing campaigns by coordinating multi-channel content, automating analytics, and freeing teams to focus on creative strategy instead of repetitive tasks.

We explored how marketing teams can use Copilot to draft social media posts, analyze campaign performance, generate content variations, and manage editorial calendars, all without getting bogged down in busywork. The message was clear: Marketing automation should feel effortless, just like enjoying a well-crafted moonshine.

Million Acre Bourbon + Finance Process Optimization

Next came Million Acre Bourbon, rich, full-bodied, and confident. This pairing reflected the transformation that happens when Copilot automates financial reconciliations, forecasting, and compliance reporting.

We demonstrated how finance leaders can use Copilot to reduce errors, accelerate month-end close processes, generate real-time dashboards, and free themselves from spreadsheet drudgery. The bourbon embodied the confidence that comes from knowing your numbers are accurate and your processes are optimized. No more late nights buried in Excel, just strategic decision-making powered by AI.

Tobacco Root Mountain Rye + Operations Efficiency

Tobacco Root Mountain Rye is bold and precise, much like the clarity Copilot brings to operations management. This pairing explored how Copilot streamlines supply chain coordination, vendor communications, inventory tracking, and workflow automation.

We showed how operations teams can use AI agents to monitor shipments, flag bottlenecks, automate status updates, and coordinate across departments with minimal friction. The rye's bold character matched the decisive efficiency that Copilot brings to complex operational workflows. Work faster, cleaner, and with fewer bottlenecks.

Apple Whiskey + HR & Talent Management

Apple Whiskey is crisp and refreshing—just like a well-timed hire. This pairing focused on how Copilot transforms HR and talent management by streamlining resume screening, interview scheduling, onboarding workflows, and training tracking.

We explored how HR teams can use Copilot to draft job descriptions, summarize candidate profiles, automate follow-up communications, and create personalized onboarding experiences. The result? HR professionals can focus on building culture and growing talent instead of drowning in administrative tasks. Refreshing efficiency for people-focused work.

Devil's Brigade Whiskey + Data Governance & Security

For our final pairing, we chose Devil's Brigade Whiskey, a Halloween-ready spirit that delivers a warning. This pairing tackled the critical topic of data governance and security, emphasizing that Copilot is powerful, but without proper guardrails, businesses risk compliance failures and security breaches.

We explained that Copilot works with the data in your Microsoft 365 environment, which means it respects your existing permissions and security settings. However, if your data governance is weak, open permissions, poorly labeled files, disorganized folders, Copilot can amplify those problems. The message was sobering but essential: AI is only as safe as your setup. Strong governance is non-negotiable.

The Live Event: Whiskey & Workflows at Missouri River Brewing Company

All of this built toward our signature event: Whiskey & Workflows, held on October 16, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Missouri River Brewing Company in Montana.

What Made the Event Unforgettable

Unlike traditional tech events filled with PowerPoint presentations and stiff networking, Whiskey & Workflows was designed to be engaging, interactive, and genuinely fun. Here's what made it special:

Live Copilot Agent Demonstration - We didn't just talk about AI. We showed the audience how to build a Copilot agent.  Seeing the technology in action removed the mystery and made it feel accessible.

Willie's Distillery Whiskey Tasting - Throughout the event, attendees sampled all five whiskeys from our campaign pairings: Honey Moonshine, Million Acre Bourbon, Tobacco Root Mountain Rye, Apple Whiskey, and Devil's Brigade Whiskey. Each tasting was accompanied by a brief explanation of how that whiskey's character reflected the corresponding Copilot use case.

Interactive Q&A – The questions were thoughtful, specific, and energized. Attendees asked about governance strategies, industry-specific use cases, training approaches, and implementation timelines. The conversation was dynamic, with business leaders sharing their own challenges and learning from each other's experiences.

Networking & Community – The relaxed atmosphere encouraged genuine connections. Attendees swapped business cards, discussed potential collaborations, and bonded over shared challenges and aspirations. The event created a sense of community among Montana business leaders who are committed to innovation.

Hands-On Guidance – We offered complimentary AI Readiness Assessments to attendees, providing personalized insights into how prepared their businesses are for Copilot adoption. Many scheduled follow-up consultations on the spot.

What We Learned: The Power of Experience-Based Education

This campaign taught us several valuable lessons about how to make technology education effective and engaging:

Make it memorable. The whiskey pairings weren't just a gimmick, they created emotional anchors that helped attendees remember each concept. 

Show, don't just tell. The live Copilot demonstration was the most impactful part of the event. Watching AI work in real-time removed fear and built confidence.

Address concerns head-on. By dedicating an entire pairing to data governance and security, we acknowledged the elephant in the room and built trust with skeptical attendees.

Create community. The relaxed, social atmosphere encouraged networking and peer learning. Attendees learned as much from each other as they did from us.

Make it accessible. By focusing on small business use cases and avoiding technical jargon, we made AI feel achievable for companies of all sizes.

Have fun. Business education doesn't have to be dry. When people enjoy themselves, they're more engaged, more receptive, and more likely to take action.

The Results: From Curiosity to Commitment

The Whiskey & Workflows campaign achieved exactly what we set out to do: transform curiosity into commitment.

We took business leaders on a journey from "What is AI?" to "How do I implement it in my business?" By the time the event concluded, attendees weren't asking whether they should adopt Copilot—they were asking when and how.

What's Next: Continuing the Momentum

The event may be over, but the journey is just beginning. We're now working with businesses across Montana to conduct readiness assessments, develop implementation roadmaps, and deploy their first Copilot agents.

The Bigger Picture: Making AI Human

This campaign was about more than just technology or whiskey. It was about making AI human.

For too long, artificial intelligence has been positioned as cold, complex, and corporate—something only large enterprises with massive budgets could leverage. We wanted to prove that AI can be approachable, practical, and even enjoyable for small and midsized businesses.

By pairing Copilot insights with whiskey, hosting the event at a local brewery, and focusing on real-world use cases, we made AI feel accessible. We showed that you don't need a team of data scientists or a Fortune 500 budget to harness the power of AI. You just need the right guidance, a willingness to learn, and maybe a good whiskey to celebrate your progress.

Thank You, Montana

To everyone who reads our blogs, engaged with our whiskey pairings, attended the event, asked thoughtful questions, and shared their own experiences, thank you. Your enthusiasm, curiosity, and commitment to innovation made this campaign a resounding success.

Special thanks to Willie's Distillery for providing the exceptional whiskeys that made each pairing memorable, and to Missouri River Brewing Company for hosting us in such a welcoming space.

We're proud to serve Montana's business community, and we're excited to see what you'll build next.

The future of work is here. And it pairs beautifully with a good whiskey.

Ready to Get Started?

If you're ready to explore how Copilot AI can transform your business, we're here to help.

➡️ Request a complimentary AI Readiness Assessment to find out how prepared your business is for Copilot adoption.

➡️ Schedule a consultation to discuss your specific use cases and implementation strategy.

➡️ Join our mailing list to stay informed about future events and AI insights.

Don't let your competitors leave you behind. Let's build something powerful together—and maybe share a whiskey while we're at it.

Cheers to innovation, efficiency, and the perfect pairing.