Chicago, IL (April 21, 2015) – Grab your boa and beads and head to Boystown for the second annual Pride lakefront party and Pride5K run/walk on Thursday, June 25. The outdoor bash, which benefits Center on Halsted, will feature DJs, drinks and go-go dancers, following a 5K “fun run” along the lakefront path.

Produced by Star Events, the race kicks off at 7:30pm near the Lakefront at Fullerton and Lake Shore Drive. When the run is done, DJs Matthew Harvat and Adam LeBlanc of Sixteen Candles, will take to the stage and pump up the volume at the Pride Weekend Kick-Off Party at Diversey Harbor, from 6:00pm until 10:00pm. Beer and wine will be available for purchase.

Racers are encouraged to come in costume and show their pride in every stride. The $50 individual race registration fee includes: a limited edition t-shirt, valuable coupons, gifts from local area businesses and a $10 beverage voucher for use during the party. Take advantage of early-bird registration through May 15, 2015, for $45. Awards will be given for the top individual finishers. Teams of 10 or more will earn perks such as private cabanas and additional drink vouchers. Packet pick-up will take place on Friday, June 19 (6-10pm) and Saturday, June 20 (9am-5pm) at Center on Halsted, 3656 North Halsted Street, in the lobby.

“The Pride Lakefront Party and 5K run/walk is about having fun and showing your PRIDE,” said John Barry, president of Star Events. “We’re excited to celebrate the incredible strides made by the LGBTQ community toward full equality.”

Event sponsors include: 101.9 The MIX, Boi Magazine, Bud Light, Chicago’s WSHE 100.3, and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR. To become an event sponsor, contact Michelle Krage at StarEvents, [email protected]

For more information and to register, visit the race website. Please follow Pride 5K on facebook and twitter @pride5Kchicago for race updates.

About StarEvents

StarEvents is Chicago’s award-winning event company that specializes in producing world-class community celebrations, races and festivals. The organization is dedicated to raising money and awareness for community groups and local nonprofit organizations. Founded in 1996, StarEvents in one of the largest Chicago festival, race and event production companies in the Midwest. They offer a wide range of creative services that include event production, event management, logistical support, public relations, marketing and conceptual processes for all types of special events. For more information, please visit www.starevents.com

About Center on Halsted

Center on Halsted is the Midwest’s most comprehensive community center dedicated to advancing community and securing the health and well being of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people of Chicagoland. More than 1,000 community members visit the Center every day, located in the heart of Chicago’s Lakeview Neighborhood.

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Bardstown, KY (May 18, 2015) – The Mahalo Spirits Group – the branding, sales and marketing powerhouse behind the success of Angel’s Envy Bourbon and Papa’s Pilar Rum – and The Bardstown Bourbon Company announced today they have joined forces to develop and launch innovative whiskey brands using a new, state-of-the-art distillery. The partnership promises to further the already explosive growth of the craft distilling industry by developing innovative and authentic brands and collaborating with passionate, small distillers to create custom whiskey brands and/or scale their production and distribution.

The new partnership will be led by a team of experienced industry professionals and artisans, including Bourbon Hall of Fame Master Distiller and Bardstown native, Steve Nally, a 40-year veteran of the spirits industry and formerly the Master Distiller of Maker’s Mark, and Alex Bogusky, an expert in brand strategy and consumer insights that was named the creative mind of the decade by Adweek Magazine, along with a national sales and marketing group specifically trained to sell premium craft spirits.

“We believe this partnership with The Bardstown Bourbon Company raises the bar for innovation and creativity in the craft whiskey sector,” said Stephen Groth, President & CEO, The Mahalo Spirits Group. “Together, we have all of the resources necessary to take brands from creation to consumption.”

“We are changing the model for how innovative whiskey and bourbon products will be produced and brought to market,“ echoed David Mandell, President & CEO, The Bardstown Bourbon Company. “And, we’re building an experience in Bardstown unlike anything whiskey enthusiasts have ever experienced.”

Set on 100 acres of active farmland and adjacent to the Bluegrass Parkway, The Bardstown Bourbon Company and its 37,000 square foot distillery forms the gateway to Bardstown, Kentucky, the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” Under construction since October 2014, this first-of-its-kind Napa Valley style campus will feature a custom built Vendome still and include a unique and transparent educational experience, high-end tours and tastings, integrated visitors center, event space, and eventually a restaurant and boutique hotel.

“During my career, I’ve worked with and learned from the best in the business,” said Steve Nally, Master Distiller, The Bardstown Bourbon Company. “I look forward to creating exciting new brands and making great bourbon. Building this distillery is a dream come true for the bourbon enthusiast. The local area provides us with excellent resources and we are paying attention to every aspect of production from farm to table.”

“Perhaps more so than any other category, authentic, distinctive and unique branding is critical to success in the spirits category,” said Alex Bogusky. “I’m wildly enthusiastic to pair that branding up with world class spirits.”

The partners look forward to announcing details of their first brand later this year.

About The Mahalo Spirits Group

Mahalo Spirits Group is a full-service brand innovation company headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida. Mahalo specializes in incubating and/or accelerating handcrafted brands with deep and authentic stories. Mahalo has a broad array of targeted resources, ranging from a national sales and marketing force to world-class creative and creation talent, supported by a finance and compliance team. Existing partnerships include Angel’s Envy Bourbon, Papa’s Pilar Rum and Sorel Artisanal Liqueur.

About The Bardstown Bourbon Company

Formed in 2014, The Bardstown Bourbon Company is “the Modern Distiller of the American Spirit”. The company is developing a $25 million destination experience, including a state-of-the art distillery, integrated visitors center, and event space. Construction on the project began in October 2014 and is expected to be completed by summer 2016.

Key West, Florida (June 21, 2015) – In honor of Father’s Day (aka Papa’s Day), Papa’s Pilar® premium sipping rum will introduce a unique cigar co-pack to select tobacco-licensed retail stores throughout Florida.

The premium gift features a reusable cigar humidification package that stores and humidifies a custom-paired Sosa Cigar with a Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum-soaked cork in an airtight pressurized tube. The branded Cigar Cork top has a moisture core that can be used to humidify the tube as well as subtly flavor the outer wrapper of the cigar. The cork slowly releases the subtle essence of Papa’s Pilar Rum into the outer wrapper of the cigar for Papa-worthy flavors, including complex earthy notes & decadent hints of vanilla spice and port with a long finish.

The Sosa Classic Natural blend is made in the Dominican Republic, using an Habano wrapper, Dominican and Nicaraguan binder and fillers. It exhibits some of the same characteristics as Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum, including flavors of sweet spices, like cinnamon, a hint of leather and some woodiness. At the same time, it doesn’t overpower the rum.

The pack also includes a 750ml bottle of Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum, which at 86-proof, is both pot and column distilled and boasts hand-selected rums up to 24 years old. The Expression, which features a long, velvety finish, was named “Best Rum in America” by the Caribbean Journal in 2014 and won a “Double Gold” Medal at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

“Flavoring a premium Sosa cigar with Papa’s Pilar Dark rum using The Cigar Cork System has produced one of the most unique and impressive cigar smoking experiences in the world,” said John Brier, Managing Partner, The Cigar Cork. “This unique and flavorful pairing has surpassed our expectations.”

Papa’s Pilar Rums 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. In addition to the Dark expression, the brand also offers Papa’s Pilar Blonde, the first categorized ‘blonde’ rum, which 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 and makes for an indulgent cocktail.

Papa’s Pilar is meant to rekindle a sense of adventure in us all. The bold and complex sipping rum was inspired by Ernest Hemingway, a man who crafted captivating stories, tackled epic feats and is quite possibly the world’s greatest adventurer. “Papa” as Ernest Hemingway was known, lived an epic life full of perpetual motion, and Papa’s Pilar was crafted to accompany 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.

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. The brand is the “official rum” of the Coastal Conservation Association of Florida, partner of the International Game Fish Association, and works with local charitable foundations and 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 plans to break ground on a new distillery and experience center in 2015 in Key West, Florida, further honoring Hemingway’s contribution to the classic spirit of the city in which he once lived. “We’re excited about creating both a destination that will serve as the physical heart and soul of our brand as well as an asset for the city of Key West,” said Carlton Grooms, Director of Operations and Co-founder of the International Rum Council. “Our guests will be truly engaged and amazed with this unique experience.  A trip to Key West will no longer be complete without a visit.”

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.

For more information, please visit www.papaspilar.com “like” us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/PapasPilarRum and follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/papaspilar #PapaWouldBeProud #PapasDay

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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