375 Park Avenue Spirits

Seattle, Washington’s Westland Distillery has announced the Outpost Range, a new series of whiskies to be released beginning in November and continuing through 2023. First up will be Garryana American Single Malt Whiskey, the fifth edition of the distillery’s Garryana-aged malt. The November release comes in at 50% abv and is made with peated spirit. The second release, Colere, will be released in spring 2021. It’s bottled at 50% abv and is made with Alba barley. Future Colere releases will be dedicated to distilling different varieties of barley. The final release, Solum, will use locally sourced peat.

Bacardi is mounting a renewed push into spiced rum, reintroducing its former Oakheart label in a new incarnation as Bacardi Spiced. Noting that spiced rum is the only segment of the rum category to show volume growth over the past decade, Bacardi is launching Spiced ($13) nationwide this month, targeting at-home occasions and both new and existing spiced rum consumers.

Ireland’s West Cork Distillers has launched a new, limited release IPA Cask Finished Irish Whiskey in the U.S. The 40% abv whiskey is a blend of 75% grain whiskey, distilled from wheat, and 25% malt whiskey that matured for four years before blending and finishing for six months in casks that held Blacks of Kinsale’s IPA. Through M.S. Walker, West Cork Distillers IPA Cask Finished Irish Whiskey will be available across the U.S. for around $33 a 750-ml.

Kansas City, Missouri-based Boulevard Brewing has partnered with West Des Moines, Iowa-based Foundry Distilling Co. to turn Boulevard’s Unfiltered Wheat Beer into a whiskey. The result is called Midnight Ritual, a 44.5% abv malt whiskey that’s aged more than two years in charred oak barrels. The release promises to be the first in a series of partnerships between the two producers, turning more brews into limited edition whiskies. Beginning next month, Midnight Ritual will be available in very limited quantities in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska.

Phillips Distilling Company has launched Prairie Organic Sustainable Seasons, a new line of botanical and fruit flavored spirits. The 30% abv flavored vodka comes in three varieties: Grapefruit, Hibiscus, and Chamomile; Watermelon, Cucumber, and Lime; and Apple, Pear, and Ginger. Each contains 75 calories per serving and all are made with organic ingredients and without added sugar. The trio is rolling out nationwide for a suggested price of $22 a 750-ml.

Proximo has expanded 1800 Tequila with a new, luxury-priced extension, 1800 Cristalino. The 40% abv spirit is made from 100% blue agave and aged for 16 months in American and French oak before finishing for six months in Port barrels. The añejo Tequila is then filtered to remove the color imparted by the barrel. 1800 Cristalino is now rolling out in select markets across the U.S. for $65 a 750-ml.

375 Park Avenue Spirits has added Ming River Baijiu to its import portfolio, effective October 1. The importer, a division of Sazerac, will handle the brand’s sales and will also support Ming River’s marketing efforts in the U.S. Ming River is a young brand—created in 2018—from China’s oldest continuously operating distillery. The spirit is distilled from red sorghum and bottled at 45% abv. 375 Park Avenue will offer Ming River in 750-ml. and 50-ml. bottles.

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Louisville, Kentucky-based Michter’s has announced the 2020 release of its annual 10-year-old Bourbon. The whiskey will be available in limited quantities beginning in May for a suggested price of $130 a 750-ml. The highly allocated whiskey joins Michter’s Bourbon, Rye, Sour Mash, and American whiskey, plus limited releases, in the brand’s portfolio.

Chicago-based Ritual, the company behind a range of zero-alcohol gin and whiskey alternatives, has entered a new category with alcohol-free Tequila. The spirits alternative is designed with Margaritas in mind and blends botanicals to create a drink that brings smoke, agave, peppers, lime, and guava flavors. Ritual’s spirits alternatives are available via Amazon and Ritual’s website for $25 a bottle.

DeKuyper Cordials and Liqueurs is launching DeKuyper Classic Ol’ Fashion. The 30 proof liqueur is intended to streamline the process of mixing an Old Fashioned into two steps by containing a range of flavors including citrus, bitterness, and bakery spices—the only additional ingredient required to complete the flavor profile is Bourbon. Available now nationwide for a suggested retail price of $13 a 750-ml., it’s also available online through Drizly and Reserve Bar.

Grace O’Malley Blended Irish Whiskey has launched in the U.S. The 40% abv label contains a blend of 46% malt and 54% grain whiskies, all sourced from Great Northern Distillery in County Louth, Ireland. Grace O’Malley was elaborated by master blender Paul Caris, who blended whiskies aged from three to 10 years and matured the final blend in a range of barrels including ex-Bourbon, ex-rum, and French oak. The brand, named for the 16th century Irish pirate and family matriarch, is handled by MHW in the U.S. market.

375 Park Avenue Spirits will add Glen Moray Scotch whisky to its import portfolio, effective June 1. The move will bring all four of Glen Moray’s collections—Elgin Classic, Elgin Heritage, Elgin Reserve, and Elgin Prestige—under 375 Park’s purview, joining Cutty Sark, which is owned by Glen Moray parent company La Martiniquaise-Bardinet.

Luxardo, part of the Hotaling & Co. portfolio, is extending its range with a London Dry Gin. A 43% abv blend of nine botanicals, the juniper-forward gin retails at $35 and will be rolling out nationwide this summer. Based in Torreglia, located in the Veneto region in northeastern Italy, Luxardo is known for its Maraschino liqueur, among other offerings.

Baltimore, Maryland-based Sagamore Spirit and Chico, California’s Sierra Nevada have teamed up to create Sagamore Spirit Brewer’s Select Rye Ale Barrel Finish. The new whiskey is a blend of 4- and 6-year-old rye whiskies finished in barrels used to mature Sierra Nevada Red Ale. The 45% abv whiskey is the second part in the companies’ collaboration, following Sierra Nevada’s barrel-aged red ale—made using Sagamore Spirit barrels—launched last year. The whiskey is rolling out now across the U.S. for a suggested price of $70 for a 750-ml.

San Francisco, California-based Hotaling & Co. has reintroduced Hirsch Bourbon, unveiling the first in what the company promises will be a series of new whiskies. The 46% abv Bourbon, named The Horizon, is blended from two whiskies distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana; 94% of the blend is a 5-year-old corn-heavy whiskey and the remainder is a high-rye Bourbon aged for 6 years. Hirsch The Horizon will be available this summer in California, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, Tennessee, New York, Kentucky, and Georgia for a suggested price of $40 a 750-ml.

Infinium Spirits-owned Templeton Rye has announced the 2020 release of the brand’s cask strength whiskey. This year’s rye comes in at 56.55% abv and is made from MGP’s 95% rye, 5% malted barley mash bill. Templeton Rye Barrel Strength Straight whiskey is now available across the U.S. in limited quantities at $60 a 750-ml.