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Taking a Trip on the Wilderness Trail

Kentucky’s Wilderness Trail Distillery has grown over the last decade from a small barrel-a-day distillery to become one of the nation’s largest Bourbon distilleries. Dr.… Read More

Kentucky’s Wilderness Trail Distillery has grown over the last decade from a small barrel-a-day distillery to become one of the nation’s largest Bourbon distilleries. Dr. Pat Heist and Shane Baker founded Wilderness Trail as an offshoot of Ferm Solutions, their consulting business that works with distillers and brewers around the world. This week on WhiskyCast In-Depth, we’ll talk with Pat Heist about the origin of Wilderness Trail — in a rock band, of all places, and the circumstances that led to their decision to sell the distillery to Campari in late 2022. In the news, Laphroaig is planning a major expansion, while whisky auction prices have yet to recover from recent declines.

Episode 1061: June 16, 2024

Image courtesy Wilderness Trail Distillery.

Wild Turkey Unveils New Jimmy Russell Visitors Center

Campari has completed work on an upgraded visitors center at the Wild Turkey Distillery campus in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and named it in honor of longtime… Read More

Campari has completed work on an upgraded visitors center at the Wild Turkey Distillery campus in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and named it in honor of longtime master distiller Jimmy Russell. The move comes as Russell celebrates his 70th year at the distillery, after coming on board as an apprentice in 1954.

The Jimmy Russell Wild Turkey Experience features an outdoor pavilion and bar suitable for events and special occasions, along with two new tasting rooms and the Generations lounge, which honors the three generations of Russells working at Wild Turkey.

“For our family, this isn’t just a place to visit; it’s like a second home,” said Bruce Russell, Associate Blender at Wild Turkey (and Jimmy’s grandson). “We’re thrilled to now be able to open our doors a little wider and welcome even more folks into this community. The Jimmy Russell Wild Turkey Experience is a perfect tribute to grandad and his life-long commitment to spreading the word of bourbon,” he said in a news release.

Wild-Turkey-Experience-Inside. Image courtesy Wild Turkey.

The center will offer an expanded range of tours, including production tours, rickhouse visits, and a new Russell’s Reserve maturation tour. It’s the latest expansion at the Wild Turkey campus, with ground-breaking expected soon on a second distillery at the site along the Kentucky River. The new distillery will bring annual production to 14 million proof gallons, which is expected to meet anticipated demand for Wild Turkey whiskies well into the future.

Links: Wild Turkey

Glen Grant’s Dennis Malcolm to Retire

After a career spanning 63 years in the Scotch whisky industry, longtime Glen Grant master distiller Dennis Malcolm OBE will retire at the end of… Read More

After a career spanning 63 years in the Scotch whisky industry, longtime Glen Grant master distiller Dennis Malcolm OBE will retire at the end of next month. He will be succeeded by veteran Glen Grant distillery director Greig Stables effective July 1.

Malcolm began his career at age 16 as an apprentice cooper at Glen Grant, where both his father and grandfather worked, and where he was born on the distillery grounds. He worked his way up to become Glen Grant’s distillery manager before leaving to manage several other distilleries around Scotland, but returned in 2006 when Campari acquired the distillery. Malcolm was honored with the Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2016 for his services to the industry and the greater Speyside community.

In a statement announcing his retirement, Malcolm said “As I look ahead to my retirement, it has led to much reflection of my career over the past 63 years. I am immensely proud to have been part of The Glen Grant family, and I say family because I have always considered my time here as a way of life and not a job of work. While I will always be a whisky-maker at heart, I look forward to settling into a new phase, spending time with family and enjoying my beloved Rothes. I know the legacy of The Glen Grant will now be in the safest of hands with Greig. I raise a toast to him and his unwavering passion for The Glen Grant.”

Julka Villa, Campari’s Group Head of Marketing, said Malcolm’s tenure profoundly shaped the legacy of Glen Grant. “His dedication, expertise, and passion for making the best whisky possible have left an indelible mark on every bottle we’ve crafted. As Dennis steps into a well-deserved retirement, we will honor his legacy by continuing to produce whiskies to make Dennis proud,” Villa said.

Stables has spent the last 18 years at Glen Grant, and as distillery director, has been responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations at the distillery working alongside Malcolm.

Never Say Die Bourbon: A Whiskey with a Back Story

The stories behind the whiskies we drink are almost as enjoyable as the whiskies, and the story behind Never Say Die Bourbon is an intriguing… Read More

The stories behind the whiskies we drink are almost as enjoyable as the whiskies, and the story behind Never Say Die Bourbon is an intriguing one. There’s a near-death experience, followed by success on horse racing’s grandest stage, and a side story linking it to the founding of The Beatles. Never Say Die co-founder Brian Luftman joins us to share that story on this week’s WhiskyCast. In the news, Chivas Brothers workers approve a new contract, Kentucky Bourbon distillers set more records, and the deadline to avoid European import tariffs on American whiskey is getting closer.

Photo courtesy Ninth House/Never Say Die Bourbon.

Wild Turkey Distillery Getting $161 Million Expansion Investment

It continues to get wilder and wilder in Bourbon Country…This week, Campari Group announced colossal plans to add a second distillery at its Wild Turkey campus in Lawrenceburg, KY. The company will invest $161 million and create 31 additional jobs in Anderson County. Campari Group will construct a brand-new distillery at the Wild Turkey campus […]

The post Wild Turkey Distillery Getting $161 Million Expansion Investment first appeared on The Bourbon Review.

It continues to get wilder and wilder in Bourbon Country…This week, Campari Group announced colossal plans to add a second distillery at its Wild Turkey campus in Lawrenceburg, KY. The company will invest $161 million and create 31 additional jobs in Anderson County.

Campari Group will construct a brand-new distillery at the Wild Turkey campus that will be designed to produce 5 million additional proof gallons of Wild Turkey bourbon annually. This will significantly increase the current capacity from 9 million to 14 million proof gallons. The project is expected to break ground by October 2023 and be completed by the end of July 2025.

The new facility will locate adjacent to the company’s existing distillery. The project also entails an expansion to the waste treatment dry house process to increase processing capacity, doubling the current dry house and waste treatment output. With this investment, Campari Group will also upgrade the current barrel filling operation to handle the increased volumes.

This investment adds to the over $300 million in operation and expansion commitments already financed by Campari Group since the acquisition of the Wild Turkey distillery 14 years ago and comes on the heels of another significant investment announced a few months ago with the $420M acquisition of Wilderness Trail Distillery in Danville (overall $600M evaluation).

Campari Group is a major player in the global spirits industry, with a portfolio of over 50 premium and super premium brands, spreading across global, regional and local priorities. The group was founded in 1860 and today is the sixth-largest company worldwide in the premium spirits industry. Campari Group has a global distribution reach, trading in over 190 nations around the world with leading positions in Europe and the Americas. They are headquartered in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, with 23 plants worldwide with its own distribution network in 23 countries.

Lear more at www.camparigroup.com

The post Wild Turkey Distillery Getting $161 Million Expansion Investment first appeared on The Bourbon Review.

Pride of Anderson County

In 2017, I was introduced to late-1990’s Wild Turkey Kentucky Legend, or “Donut,” as it’s often called. I was immediately impressed with the additional depth and complexity of a Wild Turkey single barrel bottled at full barrel strength. And it only mad…

The post Pride of Anderson County appeared first on Rare Bird 101.

Low ABV Cocktails – Not Quite Dry January

Originally published on The Whisky Exchange Blog – Low ABV Cocktails – Not Quite Dry January

Mince pies, cake, roast turkey, port, Buck’s Fizz, roast potatoes, Champagne… December brings with it a host of delicious, indulgent treats. I can’t remember the last Christmas that didn’t end in me being so full that I questioned my sanity at having taken a third helping of roast potatoes before I had pudding, but I digress. It makes sense, then, to exercise a little restraint once the new year rolls around.

Many of us will be starting off the year by cutting all alcohol from our diets for 31 days and providing our livers with a bit of respite, but there are some who choose to follow the old ‘everything in moderation’ method instead. Not completely cutting anything out of our lives, but not overindulging either, which is why I’ve tracked down some of the best low-ABV cocktails to enjoy this year.

Grapefruit SpirtZ – Spritz it up

Most famous for its regular appearance in beer gardens across the country during summer, the classic Aperol spritz is a tasty cocktail that’s easy to make, and even easy to add flair to. This grapefruit spritzer is a refreshing twist on this timeless low-abv cocktail.

Ingredients

135ml grapefruit juice
15ml Aperol
225ml tonic water
Grapefruit slices for garnish.

Method

Fill a glass with ice, add the grapefruit juice and Aperol then fill to the top with tonic water, add a slice of grapefruit to garnish and enjoy!

Americano – Bittersweet Symphony

Low-ABV cocktails don’t have to compromise on flavour or sophistication and the Americano is proof of this. Made with both Campari and sweet vermouth, this bittersweet, aromatic cocktail is perfect for happy hour, or accompanying a creamy pasta dish, such as carbonara.

Americano Cocktail

Ingredients

45ml Campari
45ml sweet vermouth
225ml Club Soda

Method

Add Campari and sweet vermouth to a highball glass before filling the glass with ice, then top up with club soda, stir and enjoy.

Mimosa – Light and bubbly

A staple at brunch, the Mimosa is a well-known low-ABV cocktail with just two ingredients – Champagne and orange juice. But I like to be different (and grew up in an orange-free home), so here is a pomegranate-based version of the classic Champagne cocktail.

Ingredients

125ml Champagne
15ml pomegranate juice
1 teaspoon pomegranate seeds to garnish

Method

Pour the Champagne into a flute, then top up with pomegranate juice, garnish with pomegranate seeds and enjoy!

Floppy Disk – Retro Fun

Some of you may remember floppy disks, the predecessor to the memory stick that was immortalised in the save symbol on Microsoft. This next cocktail is a version of Jenner Cormier’s low-abv cocktail of the same name, from Bar Kismet in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Ingredients

225ml grapefruit juice
225ml sparkling water
15ml Cynar
15ml dry curacao
10ml mezcal
Grapefruit slice to garnish

Method

Add all ingredients except sparkling water in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well and strain into a chilled glass. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a slice of grapefruit

Find more cocktails over on The Whisky Exchange’s cocktails page >

Originally published on The Whisky Exchange Blog – Low ABV Cocktails – Not Quite Dry January

Wilderness Trail Distillery Bought by Campari at $600M Valuation

Bourbon is big business. Earlier this week, the news dropped that spirits giant Campari (Milan, Italy based) is set to buy a 70% stake in Danville, Kentucky’s “Wilderness Trail Distillery” (WTD) for a cool $420 mill. The distillery’s overall value being placed at $600M. Not bad for a juice maker that opened in 2012 with […]

The post Wilderness Trail Distillery Bought by Campari at $600M Valuation first appeared on The Bourbon Review.

Not bad for a juice maker that opened in 2012 with a small 250 gallon pot still that made about a barrel (53 gallons) a day. The remaining 30% is set for acquirement in 2031, based on the outstanding capital of Wilderness Trail.

Campari already has skin in the Kentucky Bourbon game as it bought Wild Turkey outright from Pernod Ricard in 2009 for $575M. Shows you how much has changed in a little over a decade. Barely decade old WTD has a higher evaluation now versus global institution Wild Turkey when it was acquired. I’m sure the bean counters at Campari are quite happy now with their 2009 purchase. Some notable brands in their portfolio include Aperol, Campari (duh), Skyy Vodka, and Grand Marnier.

About Wilderness Trail

WTD was founded by Shane Baker and Dr. Patrick Heist. The two are highly respected yeast and fermentation experts in the distilling, brewing and wine making industries. Their joint business, Ferm Solutions, established 2006, has provided its scientific expertise to alcohol making operations across the globe.

Prior to Ferm Solutions, Baker and Heist go back to undergrad at the University of Kentucky. Baker would get his mechanical engineering degree as Heist would pursue microbiology with a Ph.D. in plant pathology. It appears the two “chose wisely” on starting their own distillery. But being the science buffs they are, I’m sure they’ll tell you knowledge is the only true reward;).

Acquisitions and big investments in the industry are becoming more and more the standard. Case in point:

It will be interesting to see the next big acquisition move in the industry.

The post Wilderness Trail Distillery Bought by Campari at $600M Valuation first appeared on The Bourbon Review.

Russell’s Runamok

If you’d told me ten years ago that I’d be sharing the history of Wild Turkey Bourbon with bartenders from around the world, I would’ve chuckled. Bourbon was barely on my radar then. Wild Turkey, a fuzzy college memory. Standing on the porch of Tyrone’…

The post Russell’s Runamok appeared first on Rare Bird 101.

35 Years on Forty Creek (Episode 963: July 31, 2022)

Forty Creek master blender Bill Ashburn celebrated his 35th anniversary in the whisky business this week, and he’s one of those blenders content to stay out of the spotlight most of the time. Ashburn and John Hall put Canadian Whisky on a new course in 2000 when they released the Forty Creek Barrel Select and Three Grain whiskies, and Ashburn’s whiskies have won countless awards since then. He’ll join us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, we have details on the U.S. government’s proposal to create an official definition for American Single Malt whiskies, along with Beam Suntory’s Read More »

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