Privacy Policy

1. Overview

This Privacy Policy explains how Bourbon Buzz (“we,” “us”) handles information when you use bourbonbuzz.com. The Site is for adults 21+. We provide editorial content, public browsing tools (search, tags, calendar, brands), and optional personal account features; we do not sell alcohol.

2. Information we collect

• Account data — email, password (stored as a hash), optional display name, and age-verification confirmation when an account is created for you or you update your account.
• Collection & follows — bottles you mark as own/want/tried, ratings, notes, acquisition dates, and brands you follow.
• Preferences — optional settings such as Buzz email alert interest stored with your account.
• Contact messages — name, email, subject, and message body when you use the contact form.
• Session data — a session identifier in a cookie so you stay signed in while using the Site.
• Technical logs — standard server and hosting logs (such as IP address, user agent, and requested URLs, which may include search query strings) used for security and reliability.

3. How we use information

We use information to operate and secure the Site, authenticate accounts, provide collection and brand-follow features, respond to contact messages, remember preferences (including optional Buzz email alerts), prevent abuse, and improve reliability. We do not sell your personal information.

4. Cookies

We use an essential session cookie for signed-in features. Without it, account tools will not work. We do not run third-party display advertising networks on the Site.

5. Affiliate links

Product links may go to Amazon or other retailers through affiliate programs. Clicking those links may send the retailer a referral identifier so we can earn a commission. Amazon and other merchants have their own privacy policies for purchases and accounts on their sites. We do not receive your payment card details from those checkouts.

6. Third-party content sources

We fetch public headlines, event listings, and related media from third-party sites and feeds to power Buzzfeed and the calendar. Those requests are server-side and do not share your account data with those publishers. When you follow an outbound link, their privacy practices apply.

7. Sharing

We may share information with service providers who host or operate infrastructure on our behalf (for example, web hosting), subject to confidentiality obligations; when required by law or to protect rights and safety; or in connection with a reorganization of the Site if the recipient agrees to protect the information consistently with this Policy.

8. Retention

We keep account and collection data while your account is active and as needed for the purposes above. Contact messages are kept as long as needed to respond and for a reasonable operational period. Session records expire. Logs are retained for a limited period for security and operations. You may request account deletion by contacting us.

9. Security

We use reasonable measures to protect personal information, including hashed passwords and access controls. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure.

10. Children

The Site is not directed to anyone under 21. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe we have, contact us and we will delete it.

11. Your choices

You can update account details while signed in, stop using optional features, or request access to or deletion of your account data through the contact form. Depending on where you live, you may have additional privacy rights under applicable law. See also the FAQ.

12. Changes

We may update this Policy periodically. The “Last updated” date will change when we do. Continued use of the Site after changes means you accept the revised Policy.

13. Contact

Privacy questions or requests: use our contact form.