Key West, Florida (January 26, 2015) – Papa’s Pilar^®, the premium sipping rum inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s spirit of adventure, today announced its sponsorship of the inaugural Florida Statewide Tournament and Anglers Rodeo (STAR). The event is produced by The Coastal Conservation Association of Florida (CCA FL), a statewide, non-profit marine organization working to protect the state’s marine resources and interests of saltwater anglers.

As the “official” rum of CCA FL and STAR, Papa’s Pilar will attend the Florida Sportsman Expo at the Lee County Civic Center in Ft. Myers on January 31. During the event, STAR will share details about the 108 day long tournament, which was designed to encourage anglers to get out and enjoy more time on the water and to educate the general public about the importance of conservation of Florida’s marine resources. STAR anglers will compete for a total of nearly $500,000 in prizes and college scholarships during the summer long tournament, which runs from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. The signature division will have Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and CCA FL officials releasing up to 80 STAR tagged redfish along the west coast of Florida throughout hundreds of miles of Florida’s gulf coast and bays, from Pensacola to the Everglades National Park.

Papa’s Pilar is meant to rekindle a sense of adventure in us all. “Papa” as Ernest Hemingway was known, was possibly the world’s greatest adventurer. Papa’s Pilar was crafted to be near that same adventure, accompanying rum enthusiasts as they sink their teeth into life. Named for his muse and one true constant, Pilar is the vessel that allowed America’s literary giant to reach beyond the shoreline, feast on life and remind us to never be a spectator. Ernest Hemingway was a famed angler and an active conservationist, serving as VP of the International Game Fish Association for 21 years. The brand set out to create a bold rum with real integrity and rich complex character, much like the man who inspires them.

“Papa’s Pilar is rooted in the adventures of Ernest Hemingway, including recreational fishing and boating,” said Lindsey Kops, brand director for Papa’s Pilar Rum. “We’re proud to sponsor the inaugural Florida Statewide Tournament and Anglers Rodeo, an event that embodies many of Hemingway’s core values, from sport and adventure to protection of natural resources.”

ABOUT PAPA’S PILAR RUM

The inaugural Dark & Blonde varieties are hand-selected from ports-of-call in the Caribbean, Central America and the U.S.A. for their age, character and maturity, and then solera aged and blended in a unique process using American Oak Bourbon barrels, Port Wine casks, and finishing in Spanish Sherry casks. This process provides an authentic and unique flavor profile that no one origin could accomplish.

Papa’s Pilar Dark, a bold and complex sipping rum, was named “Best Rum in America” by the Caribbean Journal in 2014. At 86-proof, it is both pot and column stilled and boasts hand-selected rums up to 24 years old, and a long, velvety finish. The Expression also won a “Double Gold” Medal at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Papa’s Pilar Blonde, the first categorized ‘blonde’ rum, is crisp and nuanced and includes column stilled aged rums 3-7 years old. At 84-proof, it’s a premium sipping rum with a layered and exceptionally smooth finish, making for an indulgent cocktail. Papa’s Pilar Blonde was awarded “Best in Class” White Rum at the 2013 Rum Renaissance Festival in Miami, Florida.

Papa’s Pilar was developed in conjunction with Ernest Hemingway’s estate. The Hemingway family will donate 100 percent of their royalty profits to organizations that embody the likes of adventure, literacy, and conservation, causes dear to Hemingway and his heirs.

Every aspect of Papa’s Pilar is thoughtful and purposeful. The distinct bottle evokes Papa’s exploits through a form factor reminiscent of an iconic WWII canteen. The etched compass closure reflects that same sense of adventure on either land or sea. The lion heads represent nobility while the Rooster on the Medallion pays homage to Key West, where Hemingway and his boat Pilar once resided and remain celebrated fixtures within the community.

Papa’s Pilar rums are available in 750ml bottles in both on- and off-premise accounts in California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, DC. The suggested retail price of the Dark and Blonde are $39.99 and $29.99, respectively. Prices may vary by market.

Papa’s Pilar plans to break ground on a new distillery and experience center in 2015 in Key West, Florida. For more information, visit www.papaspilar.com, “like” us on Facebook and follow us on twitter and Instagram @papaspilar. Enthusiasts can also search for #papaspilar, #papawouldbeproud, #neveraspectator, #myhemingwayday, #pilarforpreservation

For more information about STAR, please visit http://ccaflstar.com/

About Hemingway Rum Company, LLC

Hemingway Rum Company, LLC is a distilled spirits company based in Florida that’s dedicated to producing super-premium multi-sourced solera blended artisanal rums. The Company’s inaugural offerings are Papa’s Pilar™ Dark and Blonde rums, incepted and crafted by a seasoned team of best-in-class partners. The Company encourages consumers of legal drinking age to Live Courageously and Drink Responsibly and proudly supports local organizations that serve Ernest Hemingway’s adventurous, literary and conservational legacy.

Papa’s Pilar® is a proud member of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS).

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Louisville, Kentucky (January 20, 2015) – Louisville Distilling Co. LLC, producers of the award-winning Angel’s Envy super-premium bourbon finished in port wine barrels, proudly donated $10,000 to the Arbor Day Foundation as a result of the wildly successful “Toast the Trees” social media initiative last September. The funds will be used to plant 2,500 white oak trees in the Appalachian Mountains this Spring – specifically, for the Pennsylvania state game lands enhancement project, which reclaims the land of old mines by planting new forests.

“Toast the Trees” was designed to fight back against the current bourbon barrel shortage. Angel’s Envy is committed to helping make sure that there is always enough American white oak for the cooperages and bourbon distilleries of tomorrow to continue to age in new charred oak barrels. Therefore, the super-premium brand promised to plant one new white oak tree in North America for every picture bourbon enthusiasts took of an Angel’s Envy cocktail – neat, on-the-rocks or in a cocktail. Participants simply had to post their picture to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #AE4THETREES. During the month of September, the brand recorded 1,342 social media posts. The team also successfully executed 162 on-premise promotions across the country and sold 2,126 Angel’s Envy cocktails.

“We were thrilled by the engagement and participation in the inaugural #AE4theTrees campaign,” said Samira Seiller, Managing Director of Louisville Distilling Company. “We look forward to planting these American White Oaks in the spring and making this an annual initiative.”

“Thanks to the kind generosity of Angel’s Envy, we will be able to plant much-needed trees in support of our vitally important ongoing reforestation efforts,” said Dan Lambe, President of the Arbor Day Foundation. “These trees will help to restore forests and provide critical wildlife habitat.”

About Angel’s Envy
Angel’s Envy is the culmination of the late Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson’s storied career. One of the original pioneers of the premium bourbon and whiskey categories in the U.S., Lincoln created the Angel’s Envy on his own terms – with a simple desire to enjoy the art of making whiskey. The Master Distiller, who was an inaugural member of the Bourbon Hall of Fame also spent 40 years of working on world-class brands, such as Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniels.

In addition to the flagship bourbon finished in port wine barrels, the Company offers Angel’s Envy Cask Strength and Angel’s Envy Rye finished in rum barrels. Each Expression exhibits Lincoln’s passion for experimenting outside of conventional norms and producing unique whiskey steeped in tradition, but finished with a twist.

– Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Barrels, distilled for an unparalleled smoothness, aged for 4-6 years in American white oak barrels and finished in hand-selected port casks for an incremental 3-6 months. Now available in more than 35 U.S. markets, the expression earned a 98/100 points from Wine Enthusiast magazine – the highest-ever rating for a bourbon – and five stars (highest recommendation) from F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal.

– Cask Strength, aged to the perfect level of richness and maturity in the few American white oak barrels that made the cut (and are available each year) and then finished in Port casks for up to 18 months. Due to the scarcity of barrels necessary for the finishing process, Angel’s Envy only released 6,500 bottles in late 2014. Paul Pacult of Spirit Journal named the Cask Strength “Best Spirit in the World,” giving it five stars and noting it “deserves a sixth rating star.” Available in: CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MI, NJ, NY, OR, TN, TX & WA for the suggested retail price (750ml bottle) of $169.

– Rye Finished in Rum Barrels, made with 95% rye and 5% malted barley that’s aged for as much as six years in new American, charred oak barrels and finished in hand-selected Caribbean rum casks for up to 18 months. Both The Tasting Panel and Wine Enthusiast magazines awarded Angel’s Envy Rye Finished in Rum Barrels with 94/100 points. Available for the suggested retail price (750ml bottle) of $79.99.

For more information, please visit us at www.angelsenvy.com or on facebook https://www.facebook.com/AngelsEnvyBourbon and twitter https://twitter.com/Angels_Envy (@angels_envy).

Angel’s Envy 2015. Heaven Can Wait. Please Drink Responsibly.

About the Arbor Day Foundation
Founded in 1972, the centennial of the first Arbor Day observance in the 19th century, the Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with over one million members, supporters, and valued partners. The impact we make on our world is accomplished through our conservation and education programs.

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