Monday, January 30, 2017

STOLI GROUP ENTERS WHISKEY MARKET WITH KENTUCKY OWL

New York based, drinks importer and marketer Stoli Group, has announced that it will be immediately taking over the national distribution, sales and marketing, as well as the global rollout of the Kentucky Owl Bourbon brand.

This news follows that of its parent company, S.P.I. Group, acquiring the rights for “The Wise Man's Bourbon”, adding a whiskey brand with a rich history to its wine & spirits portfolio.

Stoli Group enters whiskey market with Kentucky Owl
Founded by Charles Mortimer Dedman, Kentucky Owl was originally produced up until 1916, when government agents, compelled by the rising tides of teetotalism, swooped in and hauled some 250,000 gallons of Dedman's stock by barge up the river to be warehoused under lock and key in Kentucky's capital of Frankfort.

Sometime after Prohibition was enacted in 1919, a mysterious fire destroyed the warehouse where Kentucky Owl was being stored. It’s thought that Al Capone or a similar big-time crime boss of the era cut a deal for the contents of the warehouse before it burned down.

In 2008, Charles Mortimer Dedman’s great-great-grandson Dixon Dedman, joined forces with family friends and California winemakers, Mark and Sherri Carter, to bring Kentucky Owl small batch bourbon back to the market.
Commenting on the news, Dmitry Efimov, CEO of S.P.I. Group, said: "When we began considering American whiskies, we were attracted to Kentucky Owl because of its complex, yet very smooth taste profile. Upon sitting down with the owners and hearing the story, we became really enthusiastic about revitalizing the brand and concluded that this would be the bourbon to anchor a whiskey line for S.P.I. Our USA team is poised to bring this to market."
Dixon Dedman will continue to play a key part in Kentucky Owl’s future in the role of as Brand Ambassador, as the pre-prohibition bourbon brand now looks to expand nationally and internationally.
Posted by Steve Rush