The American Whiskey Report (April 2024)

Editor's note: Welcome to our new monthly whiskey news feature, The American Whiskey Report, brought to you by our resident bourbon and whiskey expert, Maggie Kimberl. Read more about Maggie.

Kentucky Derby News

The 150th Run for the Roses will take place the first Saturday in May, and many distilleries have special events, cocktails, and partnerships with various Kentucky Derby-related activities.

Brown-Forman, parent company of Old Forester and Woodford Reserve, are the most involved with the Kentucky Derby. Woodford Reserve is the Presenting Sponsor of the Kentucky Derby and releases a commemorative Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby bottle each year. Old Forester runs the Kentucky Turtle Derby on Derby Day. Woodford Reserve also releases the $1000 & $5000 Mint Juleps each year to benefit local charities.
Evan Williams releases a special single barrel bottle commemorating The Kentucky Derby Festival each year, which includes special wax and comes with a Derby Festival lapel pin. The Evan Williams Experience is also hosting a Derby Eve Mint Julep Mingle party.
Four Roses releases two single barrels in April for the Kentucky Derby Festival at local-area Kroger stores.
Boston Harbor Distillery is hosting a Kentucky Derby watch party at the distillery in Boston, Massachusetts where a Putnam 12 year old, Cask Strength Bourbon finished in Putnam American Single Malt barrels will be released.
Tempo, a new hotel across the street from Rabbit Hole Distillery in Louisville, will open just in time to serve Kentucky Derby guests as well as those visiting the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Pinhook Bourbon and the Kentucky Black Bourbon Guild are releasing a 150th Kentucky Derby commemorative bottle, available at Seelbach’s, named after African-American jockey Isaac Burns Murphy.

People News

Hotaling & Co promoted Steph Barlow to be its first export manager, tasked with expanding the Old Potrero and Hirsch brands beyond Canada and Australia into other markets.

Staghorn has appointed Brindiamo Founder Jeff Hopmayer to its advisory panel.
Blue Note Bourbon parent company B.R. Distilling Co. has appointed Gregg Smith CFO and Chris Crosbie VP of sales.
Kelly Woodcock Of Westward Whiskey has been appointed President of the ACSA. Amber Pollock of Backwards Distilling has been appointed ACSA’s Vice President. Jeff Kanoff of Copperworks Distilling has been appointed ACSA’s Treasurer. The 2024 Board of Directors includes new ACSA members Greg Eidam of Sugarlands Distilling Co., Adam Polonski of Lost Lantern Whiskey, Phil Steger of Brother Justus Whiskey Co., and Olivia Stewart of Oxbow Rum Distillery.
Master Distiller Alex Castle has departed from Old Dominick Distillery in Memphis, Tennessee after nine years. No word yet what she will do next, though she will be returning to her native Kentucky.
New Riff Distilling has named Brian Sprance Master Distiller and Rawnica Dillingham Chief Sales Officer.
Old Homestead Distilling Co. has just been announced as Indiana’s newest craft distillery and Alan Bishop, formerly of Spirits of French Lick Distillery, has been announced as Head Alchemist.

Product Releases

2 Cents Inc Founder Brittany Penny has partnered with The Tea Master to produce Audacitea, a new RTD lemon sweet tea with 6% ABV.

Off Hours is releasing its first rye whiskey, a 6-year 95/5 rye bottled at 95 proof.
Watershed Distillery has released batch 002 of its uncut, unfiltered Bourbon, aged in char 5 barrels and bottled at 125.4 proof.
A. Overholt will be the latest product released from Jim Beam, a nod to Old Overholt Founder Abraham Overholt. It will be a Pennsylvania-style rye whiskey.
High N’ Wicked has just released its first cask strength rye and its biannual cask strength Bourbon. The Rye is a 5-year sour mash Kentucky rye with a mash bill of 91% rye and 9% malted barley. The Bourbon is a Kentucky 5-year sweet mash with a mash bill of 51% corn, 39% rye, and 10% malted barley.
High West has released its annual Bourye, a blend of Bourbon and Rye whiskeys consisting of a 95% rye, 5% barley malt from MGP, an 80% rye, 20% malted rye made by High West Distillery, a straight Bourbon whiskey that is 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley malt from MGP, and a straight Bourbon whiskey that is 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley from Kentucky. All whiskeys in this blend are aged a minimum of 10 years.
Catoctin Creek has released its oldest product yet, Rabble Rouser, a 6-year Rye whiskey distilled from 100% rye and bottled-in-bond.
Bulleit has released its limited-edition 12-year Rye, a 95/5 rye distilled at MGP and bottled at 92 proof.
Balcones will release an eclipse-themed American Single Malt, Mirador Eclipse, in May, which utilized three different yeast strains in the fermentation.
Chattanooga Whiskey has released its Founders 12th Anniversary Blend, a solera-style blend of whiskeys distilled by Chattanooga Whiskey Company and MGP.
Bluebird Distilling has released its Sportsman Bourbon, a wheated Bourbon with a sweet mash bill of 70% corn, 20% wheat, and 10% malted barley, aged 7.5 years, and bottled at 100 proof.
Raconteur Rye is the latest brainchild of David Jennings, better known as Rare Bird 101. This release is a blend of three distinct MGP 95/5 ryes, each a minimum of 7 years old, some finished in Mizunara barrels and the whole blend is also finished in Mizunara barrels. It will be available starting May 10, 2024.
New Riff Distilling has released its oldest product yet, an 8-year-old Bourbon with a mash bill of 65% corn, 30% rye and 5% malted barley bottled at 100 proof.
Old Line Spirits has released its first ever rye whiskey with a mash bill of 51% rye and 49% malted barley, bottled at 102 proof.
Hotaling & Co. has released Old Potrero 16 year old bottled-in-bond Rye whiskey with a 100% malted rye mash bill.
Sagamore Spirit has re-released a fan-favorite Manhattan finished Rye barreled at 103 proof.
Jeptha Creed will soon release a 6-year wheated Bourbon made with its signature Bloody Butcher Corn, grown on farms near the distillery, many of which are owned by the family.
J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery has released a special fundraiser bottle to raise money for Forgotten Coast K9s. It’s a 116 proof 6.5 year-old Bourbon.

Sustainability News

Brush Creek Distillery in Saratoga, Wyoming is working on sustainability through several fronts. First, botanicals and juniper for the brand’s gins are being grown on-site in a certified organic greenhouse. Second, spent grains are being used in the distillery’s bakery to bake spent grain bread. Third, char from spent barrels is shared with a local cheese and ice cream maker for their production processes. Finally, the Cheyenne Club restaurant onsite uses spent barrel staves for cooking fuel.

Brown-Forman is leaning hard into sustainability, offsetting 90% of its US power usage through investments with the Solomon Forks Wind Project, spearheading the White Oak Initiative with the US Forest Service, and is committing to zero waste in its packaging materials.
Brother’s Bond Bourbon has announced an “Oath to the Earth” program in which 1% of sales will go to support regenerative agriculture.
Tamworth Distilling in New Hampshire has been incorporating sustainability in its business model from day one by using local grains, utilizing invasive crabs in whiskey, and creating bread from spent grains. Now they have begun to utilize New Hampshire Oak in barrels for aging whiskey, keeping as much of the process local and sustainable as possible.
Maker’s Mark Distillery teams planted 2000 oak trees on the distillery grounds, bringing the total number of oak trees planted there in recent years to 10,000, of which there are 400 different varieties. The plan is to study which oak trees are most resistant to climate strain, pests, and diseases in order to sustain oak growth into the future for Bourbon production.
New Riff Distilling has donated enough proceeds from its limited edition Silver Grove Bourbon and Silver Grove Rye to build a park in nearby Silver Grove, Kentucky, the home of the distiller’s newest warehouse.
DISCUS Academy has launched a sustainability studies certificate for beverage industry professionals in conjunction with Cornell University and the University of Kentucky.

Other News

Watch Hill Proper in Louisville, Kentucky is celebrating two years as the largest American Whiskey Bar in the world.

Bargo 459 is the newest craft member of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.
Distillery tourism in Texas has brought $831 million to the state thanks to the 188 distilleries. Distilling has also brought 7700 jobs and $42.5 million in state and local tax revenues, according to a 2022 study just released.
Frey Ranch Distillery is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024. The distillery in Fallon, Nevada has the unique distinction of growing all its own grains, so the product doesn’t leave the distillery’s possession from the time it is grown until it goes out into the market as a finished product.
Hard Truth Distilling in Nashville, Indiana has broken ground for a third rickhouse to keep up with demand for their sweet mash Bourbons and Ryes.
Win a full set of Van Winkle whiskeys to support Locust Grove in Louisville, Kentucky! Tickets are $100 and will be on sale throughout May. Only 1500 tickets are available.
Buffalo Trace is opening a distillery experience in London, England on May 6, 2024 which will feature two bars and a retail shop.

Mint Julep Recipes, Because Derby

Strawberry Fennel Mint Julep 

Recipe Courtesy freight house, Paducah, Ky. 

1 ripe strawberry 

4 mint leaves  

1 ½ ounces fennel seed simple syrup 

4 ounces strawberry seltzer water 

crushed ice 

Muddle the strawberry and mint leaves in a julep glass. Add simple syrup and crushed ice. Top with seltzer water. Garnish with more mint. 

The Brown Hotel Mint Julep 

Recipe courtesy of The Brown Hotel, Louisville, Ky. 

2 ounces Maker’s Mark bourbon 

2 ounces mint simple syrup* (recipe below) 

crushed ice 

Club soda 

Fresh mint springs, for garnish

Powdered sugar, for garnish 

Fill a tall glass with crushed ice. Pour in bourbon and mint syrup. Stir gently. Add a splash of club soda and garnish with fresh mint sprig and sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

Mint simple syrup 

Combine equal amounts sugar and water and several sprigs of mint in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat and allow mint to steep until syrup comes to room temperature. Strain to remove mint leaves. Refrigerate until needed. 

Rein Me In

Recipe courtesy of Miranda Densford, beverage director, Barn8 Restaurant & Bourbon Bar

2 ounces Old Forester 100

2 ounces tepache (Barn8 makes their tepache in-house, but storebought is fine)

1/2 ounce mint syrup*

Large bunch of mint (preferably pineapple mint)

Combine ingredients and then top with crushed ice. Garnish with a large bunch of mint.

Mint syrup*

Make simple syrup, which is 1:1 ratio of sugar to water. Then let chill, once completely cool add a large bunch of mint and let sit overnight. Strain out mint and it’s ready for cocktails!