Boutique Spirits Brand Founded in New Zealand Set to Expand World’s First Smoked Rum to U.S. Market

Chicago, IL (November 17, 2015) – Chicago-based Liquid Asset Brands LLC (“LAB”) and Spirits Investment Partners LLC (“SIP”) announced today that they have made a US $14 million investment in Stolen Spirits (“STOLEN”), for a majority stake in the business.

STOLEN, an independent spirits company founded in Auckland, New Zealand, currently produces four internationally awarded innovative rums, including the world’s first smoked rum. The partnership with LAB/SIP provides expertise and significant growth capital for expansion of the Company’s portfolio, including a smoked whiskey, several unique rum releases and other new products under development.

LAB brings a wealth of alcohol industry knowledge and business expertise to STOLEN, particularly in the challenging and competitive United States market. LAB is led by Marc Bushala, a seasoned marketing and spirits entrepreneur and the Managing Partner of MAB Capital Management LLC. This investment comes on the heels of the recent sale of Louisville-based Angel’s Share Brands LLC, (Angel’s Envy Bourbon and Angel’s Envy Rye) to Bacardi Limited for an undisclosed amount. Bushala was a founding partner of Angel’s Envy.

“I am thrilled with our investment in STOLEN. We consider it to be one of the best emerging spirit brands to come to market in the last few years,” said Bushala. “We love STOLEN’s unique brand positioning and their innovation in the rum category. We are also excited to work with the STOLEN team to expand the brand portfolio.”

Started in 2010 out of a one-bedroom flat by Jamie Duff and Roger Holmes, STOLEN has seen exponential growth and cult status in its home market of New Zealand and in Australia. Beginning in early 2016 , STOLEN Smoked Rum will be launched in key U.S. states, including NY, FL, CA, MA and IL, with a sustained nationwide rollout.

For this rum, STOLEN works with a world-class distillery in Trinidad & Tobago from where they take column-distilled rum, aged in ex-whiskey barrels in the Caribbean, and add a combination of the best natural ingredients from around the world – including refractionated Arabica coffee beans from Columbia, vanilla from Madagascar and fenugreek from Morocco. This rum is then ‘smoked’ using American Hardwood – a re-invention to rum as we know it with a smokiness that is usually associated with whiskey.

“It was always my dream to take the STOLEN brand to the USA, the most dynamic spirits market in the world,” said Jamie Duff, STOLEN founder and Chief Creative Officer. “Marc and his team at LAB are real pro’s, all smart entrepreneurs at heart and who totally embody the STOLEN ethos. We’re very fortunate to work with LAB as our global partner, which will enable us to do everything we want to do with this brand. Not only expanding into US markets but also developing STOLEN product extensions.”

LAB continues seek out and review equity investment opportunities in early stage beverage businesses. For more information, please visit www.liquidassetbrands.com

Notes:

• Long seen as something of a poor relation in the spirits world, the rum category is identified as the “next big thing”¹
• Flavored and Spiced rums now account for around 53% of all rums sold²
• Spiced rum will continue to grow with new flavour innovations emerging³

Sources:

1. IWSR/Just-Drinks, March 2015
2. Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS), February 2015
3. The Spirits Business – Rum Trends to Watch in 2015 (12/19/14)

Liquid Asset Brands LLC

Liquid Asset Brands actively make investments in early stage beverage businesses and takes an active role in helping accelerate the growth of the brands in its portfolio. For more information, please visit www.liquidassetbrands.com

MAB Capital Management, LLC

MAB is a closely held capital management firm focused on making strategic investments in the real estate, communications, hospitality and entertainment sectors within the U.S. and abroad. For more information, please visit www.mabcap.com

Stolen Spirits

(STOLEN) is an independent spirits company started from a one-bedroom apartment in Auckland, New Zealand in 2010 by Jamie Duff and Roger Holmes and produces one of the fastest growing rum brands in the world, Stolen Rum. STOLEN was a dream of Jamie’s after being a proud rum drinker for many years but embarrassed of the uncool, undifferentiated rum brands on the market. STOLEN approaches its product development through re-invention and appropriation, with a punk ethos at it’s core.

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Free Digital Recipe Guide Now Available at Equal.com

Chicago (November 1, 2015) – Chef Chris Smith, aka The Diabetic Chef^® in partnership with Equal^®0-calorie sweetener, is proud to share a new digital holiday recipe guide, which is now available free to consumers at Equal.com

Chef Chris, a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, has created a recipe book filled with a variety of holiday drink and dessert recipes that use great-tasting Equal^® 0-calorie sweetener as an alternative to sugar. The launch of the cookbook coincides with American Diabetes Month and was created specifically for the more than 30 million adults and children in the U.S. living with diabetes – and the 86 million Americans at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. All of the recipes are suitable for people living with diabetes or those who want to follow a healthy lifestyle. They include:

• Delicious drinks, such as Apple Pie Smoothie, Pomegranate Mint Tea, Hot Mulled Apple-Cranberry Cider, “Hot” Hot Cider, Hot Peppermint-Mocha Coffee
• Holiday desserts such as Sweet Ricotta with Fresh Berries, Tiramisu Delights, Pumpkin Pie Minis, Chocolate Mousse, Apple-Cranberry Strudel Bites

“Managing you diabetes during the holidays can seem overwhelming,” says Chef Chris, who has type 1 diabetes. “It’s about making small, yet smart decisions that add up to improve your health. Equal^® adds just the right amount of sweetness and flavor to my favorite recipes. As someone who is living with diabetes, I’m committed to educating others about how to prepare delicious and nutritious meals without sacrificing taste.”

Equal^® products are available at grocery, mass, club and drugstores. Consumers can also look for the brand in the sweetener caddy at coffee shops and restaurants. Equal^® is offered in 115 and 230-count boxes for a suggested retail price of $3.50 and $6.39 respectively. Equal Spoonful 4oz has a suggested retail price of $3.29. Retail prices may vary by market.

For more information and download the free digital recipe guide, visit www.equal.com or find the brand on facebook http://www.facebook.com/EqualSweetener

About Equal^®

For more than 30 years, Equal^® has offered its trusted “blue” packets using the ingredient of aspartame. Equal also offers yellow (sucralose) and pink (saccharin) packets that bear the brand name and deliver the quality and taste consumers expect. Equal^® is a registered trademark of Merisant Company.

About Merisant Company

Merisant Company, the manufacturer of Equal^® brand 0-calorie sweetener, is a privately held company headquartered in Chicago.  Merisant is a global leader in the sweetener industry and has a presence in more than 90 countries with 378 employees worldwide.

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Louisville Distilling Company Will Only Release 7,500 Bottles

Louisville, Kentucky (November 1, 2015) – Louisville Distilling Company is proud to announce the limited-edition release of the critically acclaimed Angel’s Envy Cask Strength. The expression will be available this November in select markets including: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, NJ, NY, OH, OR, TN, TX, WA. Due to the scarcity of barrels necessary for the enhanced finishing process, Angel’s Envy will only release 7,500 bottles. Previous releases quickly sold out.

Named “best spirit in the world” by Paul Pacult in the June 2013 edition of Spirit Journal, Cask Strength shared top honors with a 25-year-old single malt whisky that sold for nearly twice the price. In his review, Pacult awarded the brand five stars – his highest recommendation – noting, “this masterpiece deserves a sixth rating star.”

As with Angel’s Envy, the super-premium bourbon of uncompromising character and quality, Cask Strength is aged to the perfect level of richness and maturity (up to seven years) in the few American white oak barrels that made the cut. The barrels are then blended into a single batch and finished in hand-selected port casks.

“Cask Strength is a rare and remarkably complex bourbon unlike any other you’ve ever tried,” said Wes Henderson, Chief Innovation Officer, Angel’s Envy. “Our fans look forward to it each year and we’re thrilled to make it more widely available.”

The suggested retail price for a 750ml bottle, which may vary by market, is $169.99. A remarkably complex bourbon at 127.9-proof and 63.95% alcohol by volume, Cask Strength is best enjoyed with just a bit of water to release the flavor nuances.

Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Tasting Notes

Color: Rich Gold with an amber depth

Nose: Heavy caramel with vanilla up front, followed by roasted almonds, orange peel citrus, and faint blueberry

Palate: Pound cake, root beer, candy corn, honey. Then tart strawberries, blackberries, figs, and slight black pepper on the finish.

Finish/feel: Less port forward than previous years, but while the port finish is distinct, the bourbon itself shines through the finish

Bottle Signing Events

Angel’s Envy will host exclusive bottle signing events with members of the Henderson family from December 2015 through April 2016 for those that purchase Cask Strength. A promotional code on each bottle shares a URL with more information about the events.

Angel’s Envy Distillery

The Angel’s Envy distillery will be located in downtown Louisville, on the corner of Main Street and Jackson, bringing the great tradition of Kentucky bourbon-making back to the city. The new craft distillery and brand experience center will make a great starting point for the Bourbon Trail and be open to the public for guided tours. Louisville Distilling Company expects the new distillery to be up and running in 2016.

About Louisville Distilling Company LLC

Louisville Distilling Company LLC is the proud producer of the highly celebrated Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The small batch artisan port-finished bourbon, which is hand-blended in small batches of 8-12 barrels and allowed to develop naturally, is the culmination of the late Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson’s storied career. The award-winning flagship Expression, which is available across the U.S., earned 98/100 points from Wine Enthusiast magazine – the highest-ever rating for a bourbon. The Company also offers Angel’s Envy Rye, which is finished in Caribbean rum casks and Angel’s Envy Cask Strength, which Paul Pacult of Spirit Journal named the “Best Spirit in the World.” Each Expression exhibits a passion for experimenting outside of conventional norms and producing unique whiskey steeped in tradition, but finished with a twist.

The Angel’s Envy™ brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.

For more information, please visit us at www.angelsenvy.com or on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/AngelsEnvyBourbon, twitter https://twitter.com/Angels_Envy (@angels_envy) and Instagram.

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

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