Made in Michigan, the “Whiskey of the North” Boasts a Diverse Portfolio of Award-Winning Expressions Now Available in the U.S.

Traverse City, MI (July 18, 2017) – Traverse City Whiskey Co. (TCWC), is a portfolio of premium whiskies and bourbon made in Michigan. Known as the “Whiskey of the North,” the upstart company draws upon its early family roots in the distilled spirits industry dating back to the late 1800’s, sourcing all their grains (corn, rye and malted barley) from the Midwest.

The distilling team, led by Chris Fredrickson, Jared Rapp and Moti Goldring, strives to make quality products, inspired by patented distilling techniques invented by Fredrickson’s great grandfather that were approved by the US PTO during the prohibition era.

“Family history, good friends and passion for quality bourbon led to an idea and we’re thrilled with how our brands have been received,” said Chris Fredrickson, Co-founder, Traverse City Whiskey Co. “Our whiskey portfolio offers something for everyone, from the bourbon novice to the aficionado.”

The TCWC portfolio includes:

• Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($33) – Aged four years and bottled at 43% ABV. This sophisticated bourbon offers a timeless profile (71% corn, 25% rye and 4% malted barley), revealing hints of vanilla, citrus undertones and a smooth finish. Kosher Certified.

• American Cherry Edition ($30) – Straight from the “Cherry Capital of the World” this unique whiskey (71% corn, 25% rye and 4% malt barley) features hints of cherry from Fredrickson Orchards. This expression, extremely authentic to northern Michigan, has more than 10 pounds of Montmorency Sour Cherries infused in every barrel (for at least two weeks). A Silver Medal Winner at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, it exhibits a subtle cherry taste paired with the smooth vanilla finish bourbon. No added sugar. Kosher Certified.

• North Coast Rye ($40) – This unique blend of two mash bills: 100% rye and 95% rye and 5% malted barley is barreled at 120 proof and bottled at 90 proof. This rye whiskey has a minimum age statement of three years and is the company’s newest addition to the whiskey line-up.

At the brand’s Stillhouse in Traverse City, Michigan, which opened in 2014, guests can experience the complete distilling process firsthand. A 400-gallon, custom Kothe still sits next to the Tasting Room and Stillhouse Cocktail Bar where visitors conclude their tour.

When the still, which is naturally cooled by Michigan ground water, is running at full capacity, it can create up to 800 barrels of whiskey per year.

The facility also contains a visitor center and gift shop, where guests can purchase brand gear and limited-edition whiskey expressions only available at the Stillhouse, including:

• Port Barrel Finish ($40) – Traverse City Whiskey Company signature bourbon, aged three years, rested for an additional year in a Port Wine barrel and bottled at 43% ABV. This limited-edition offering reveals warm, earthy notes and was crafted to sip on the rocks or mixed into a Manhattan cocktail. Kosher Certified; 2016 Ultimate Beverage Challenge (94 Points).

• Barrel Proof Bourbon ($75) – Barreled at 115 proof and bottled four years later, the Barrel Proof Bourbon is the most premium expression in the Traverse City Whiskey Co. line-up. Once the Barrel Proof cask reaches maturity, it is pumped through a filter to remove any residual charcoal and transferred directly into the bottles. It’s commonly referred to as the purest, untouched version of whiskey.

Later this year, the company plans to release several additional limited-edition expressions in 200ML bottles.

Located at 201 E. 14^th St. in downtown Traverse City, the Stillhouse is open to the public seven days a week. Stillhouse tours, which typically last around 25 minutes, are offered weekdays starting at 4pm and weekends by reservation. Admission is $10 per person and includes a whiskey sample of the visitor’s choice. Make reservations by phone (231-922-8292) or online at www.traversecitywhiskey.com/tour. Walk-ins are accepted (subject to availability).

TCWC products are available in 750ml bottles at both on- and off-premise establishments in the following markets: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Washington DC, Wisconsin. Retail prices may vary by market.

For more information, please visit www.traversecitywhiskey.com and follow the brand on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @tcwhiskey

About Traverse City Whiskey Co.

Traverse City Whiskey Co. is an independent and locally owned distilled spirits company based in Traverse City, Michigan, that’s dedicated to producing approachable premium to super-premium whiskey and bourbon. Known as “The Whiskey of the North,” the upstart company draws upon its early family roots in the distilled spirits industry dating back to the late 1800’s, sourcing all grains from the Midwest.

Traverse City Whiskey Co. is a proud member of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS).

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Bardstown, KY (July 18, 2017) – The Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBCo), the largest new distillery in America, announced today the appointment of John J. Mack to its Board of Directors. Mr. Mack is the former Chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley, having served in those roles from 2005 to 2011.

“The Bardstown Bourbon Company is honored to have John Mack join the Board,” said Peter Loftin, Chairman of BBCo. “John is an extremely accomplished business leader and an experienced board member in both the public and non-profit sectors. We are confident that BBCo will greatly benefit from his judgment, insights, and counsel.”

Mr. Mack currently serves as Chairman of Lantern Credit and is also on the Board of Glencore International AG, Lending Club, Bloomberg Family Foundation and Tri Alpha Energy. In addition, he serves on the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the University Hospital of both Columbia and Cornell.

Mr. Mack’s appointment expands the BBCo Board to four directors, including Peter Loftin, Founder and Chairman of BBCo, David Mandell, Founder and President & CEO of BBCo, and Jeff Hopmayer, Managing Partner of the Brindiamo Group.

Due to the success of the BBCo Collaborative Distilling Program and massive demand for custom, authentic, Kentucky whiskey products, the company recently expanded the distillery to its current 3 million proof gallon capacity. The footprint can ultimately be expanded to more than six million proof gallons within the current design, by adding additional equipment.

ABOUT THE BARDSTOWN BOURBON COMPANY

The Bardstown Bourbon Company is a celebration of the art of making whiskey. No secrets, mythical stories, or fabricated legends, the Bardstown Bourbon Company celebrates the craft of making great whiskey and the Bardstown community that brings bourbon to the world.

The Company is developing a destination experience with a first-of-its-kind Napa Valley style campus featuring a state-of-the-art whiskey distillery, unique and transparent educational experience, integrated visitors center, event space, and whiskey library, bar, and restaurant.

To learn more about The Bardstown Bourbon Company visit:

www.bardstownbourbon.com

www.facebook.com/bardstownbourboncompany

www.twitter.com/btownbourbon

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Chicago, Ill. (June 21, 2017) – Chasing Harvest, the premium wine brand handcrafted by the husband and wife team of Mike Kush and Jennifer Kingen Kush, is pleased to launch its first Rosé wine. Sourced from New Zealand’s Central Otago region, the brand’s newest offering since its 2014 Riesling is made from the pinot noir grape. Using a unique Champagne press cycle and minimizing skin contact the wine is fermented and aged in neutral French oak barrels, which results in a wine great texture, elegant aromatics and delicate pink hue. 

Chasing Harvest 2016 Rosé is a dry wine that exhibits traits that are characteristic of the noble varietal of Pinot Noir and the Central Otago, New Zealand region.

“At Chasing Harvest, we produce distinctive wines that best reflect our favorite wine regions,” said Mike Kush, winemaker. “While most Rosé comes from France, the Central Otago region produces some of the best pinot noir in the world. Our first Rosé is a unique expression of Pinot Noir employing techniques of both Champagne and Provence to create an elegant and characterful Rose.”

Chasing Harvest offers a variety of wines sourced from two of the world’s most exciting wine regions – The Douro Valley, Portugal, and Central Otago, New Zealand. The brand name represents the couple’s travel between the Northern and Southern hemisphere for the harvest, which happen at opposite times of the year. Although they call Chicago home, the duo spends a few months of each year in both wine regions: New Zealand (spring) and Portugal (fall). Having strong partnerships with local growers in these regions has afforded them the opportunity to produce their own label from top vineyards. The team’s very first crush produced a 2009 Pinot Noir (New Zealand), which quickly sold out. Shortly thereafter, they began making unique blends like a Douro DOC Vinho Tinto and Douro DOC Vinho Branco, both from Portugal.

Chasing Harvest wines are currently available in select on- and off-premise establishments in Chicago, Indianapolis, Southern California, and New Zealand. The team produced only 69 cases of the 2016 Chasing Harvest Rosé, which can be purchased for $20.00 per 750ml bottle. For more information (including availability and tasting notes) and to sign up for the brand’s mailing list, please visit www.chasingharvest.com

Follow the brand on facebook https://www.facebook.com/chasing.harvest and twitter @chasingharvest https://twitter.com/chasingharvest 

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Award-Winning Frozen Cocktail & Slush Mix Makes it Easy for Bars and Restaurants to Create and Serve Innovative Premium Frozen Craft Cocktails

Brooklyn, NY (June 7, 2017) – Kelvin® Slush Co. (Kelvin), the first and only certified organic cocktail mix specifically formulated for making premium frozen cocktails, recently launched its newest flavor, Frosé (aka frozen rosé). Made with organic peach and strawberry juices, the new base slush flavor is the sixth in a series that includes citrus, piña colada, margarita, ginger and tea, and has quickly become the company’s best-seller.

Kelvin started as a food truck on the streets of Brooklyn in 2010 selling organic non-alcoholic slushies to thirsty New Yorkers. Taking a cue from their loyal customers – who always brought flasks to the truck to spike their slushes – Kelvin began collaborating with bars and restaurants to create and serve custom, premium frozen cocktails.

Now solely focused on the wholesale channel across the USA and Canada, Kelvin has revolutionized the frozen cocktail category by going beyond traditional “fruit” flavors (often made with artificial ingredients and high-fructose corn syrup), which limit restaurants and bars to frozen fruit cocktails. Kelvin’s award-winning versatile base flavors feature high quality all-natural ingredients, which allow operators to create and customize almost any cocktail – including classic cocktails – in frozen form.

It took the company one year to perfect its Frosé recipe. Making a well-crafted frozen drink requires the perfect balance of sugar, alcohol and flavor profiles to freeze correctly and taste just right when frozen. The Standard Spa Miami was the first to put Kelvin’s Frosé recipe on its menu, where it immediately became their best-selling drink and caught the attention of neighboring restaurants and bars. The Kelvin Frosé is now served at leading restaurants and bars across the country, including: Eataly (New York), Soho House (Chicago), Malibu Farm (Malibu), The Edition Hotel (Miami Beach) and Stay Gold (Austin).

“Our new Frosé organic cocktail mix has been a game-changer,” said Zack Silverman, Co-founder, Kelvin Slush Co. “Through May, our year over year sales are up more than 90 percent. We anticipate this will be our best year-to-date.”

Kelvin’s premium cocktail mix can be used in any uncarbonated frozen drink, slush or granita machine by combining the following ingredients in a slush machine: 1 bottle Kelvin Organic Frosé Mix, 4 bottles Rosé Wine, 0.5 Liters of Vodka (or other white spirit), and 1.5 gallons of water. The premium mix can also be used in a blender at home.

Kelvin is available for bars and restaurants in the Continental U.S. via food and liquor distributors, including: US Foods, Sysco, Baldor Foods, Shamrock Foods, Spec’s, Vin Sauvage, Julius Silvert, Rader Foods, and Tampa Beverage Solutions. Kelvin is also available on Amazon by the 64oz. bottle for consumers at home for $34.95 (makes approximately 37 cocktails).

All Kelvin products are USDA Organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, kosher and proudly made in the USA. Kelvin does not use any artificial flavors, ingredients, colors or preservatives.

For more information, please visit www.kelvinslush.com and follow the brand on facebook, twitter and Instagram @kelvinslush

About Kelvin Slush Co.

Kelvin Slush Co. is the first and only certified organic cocktail mix specifically formulated for making premium frozen cocktails featuring unique and sophisticated flavors and high quality all-natural ingredients. Led by co-founders Alex Rein and Zack Silverman, the company started as a food truck on the streets of Brooklyn selling organic non-alcoholic slushies to thirsty New Yorkers. Today, Kelvin collaborates with bars & restaurants across the USA and Canada to create custom, premium frozen cocktails.  All Kelvin products are USDA Organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, kosher and proudly made in the USA.

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Argo Tea Will Donate 10 percent of Profits to Stupid Cancer® Charity During Promo Period

Chicago – (June 5, 2017) – Argo Tea®, the nation’s leading brand of premium tea and retail cafes, today announced its first national promotional collaboration with Walgreens to celebrate National Iced Tea Month.  The multi-pronged effort is comprised of an in-store Walgreens-exclusive consumer sweepstakes, a ChariTEA® donation to Stupid Cancer® – the country’s largest young adult cancer nonprofit – and a digital media campaign to promote the National Iced Tea Month campaign.

From June 4 – June 24, three flavors of Argo Tea – Carolina Honey®, Green Tea Ginger Twist® and Hibiscus Tea Sangria® – will be featured on display at Walgreens nationwide in honor of National Iced Tea Month.  During the period, Argo Tea will donate 10 percent of profits of their bottled teas sold at Walgreens to Stupid Cancer.

“For years, Argo Tea has donated to nonprofits through our ChariTEA program at Argo Tea cafés across the country. With National Iced Tea Month as the backdrop, we are proud to be taking the concept to Walgreens to help support a charity that’s important to them,” said Mike Ginal, Vice President of Marketing at Argo Tea. “We are incredibly impressed with the work that Stupid Cancer is doing to make a difference in the lives of those affected by young adult cancer and couldn’t be prouder to help support the movement.”

“Stupid Cancer is dedicated to making the lives of those impacted by young adult cancer better with international conferences, online and offline support and the platform to be vocal about their disease,” CEO and Founder Matthew Zachary said. “Argo Tea and Walgreens understand the unique needs young adults, their family and friends have when cancer disrupts the norm. We are excited to reach new audiences through this collaboration.”

Additionally, Argo Tea is offering a Walgreens-exclusive sweepstakes for the chance to win an Argo Tea-branded cooler.  Consumers who purchase three bottles of Argo Tea at Walgreens – from June 1 – July 15 – can text “ARGO” to 35227 and upload their receipt for a chance to win one of a thousand coolers being given away.  The sweepstakes will be supported with in-store point-of-sale.  For complete rules and alternate entry, visit https://www.argotea.com.

The National Iced Tea month collaboration will be enhanced with a digital marketing campaign comprised of email marketing, social media and paid digital media to drive awareness of Stupid Cancer, the ChariTEA program with Walgreens and the national consumer sweepstakes.

For more information about Argo Tea, please visit www.argotea.com and follow the brand on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/argotea as well as Twitter and Instagram @argotea

About Argo Tea

Since brewing its first cup of tea in 2003, Argo Tea has quickly become a household name and leading multi-channel, branded beverage company. Its ready-to-drink teas in Argo Tea’s iconic bottles are now available in over 50,000 outlets nationwide through partnerships with premier retailers that value its brand-defining commitment to quality, sustainability and healthy living. With nearly 50 Argo Tea cafés globally, it has established a brand building marketing platform that serves over 10 million cups of tea annually fueling its innovation. Argo Tea’s menu includes all natural-tea based signature drinks, over 30 varieties of loose-leaf teas, premium coffee, fresh-baked pastries, specialty foods, and a selection of tea ware and accessories.

About Stupid Cancer
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Stupid Cancer, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is the largest charity that makes cancer suck less for those touched by young adult cancer. Founded in 2007 by Matthew Zachary, the innovative, award-winning and evidence-based programs and services serve as a global bullhorn to propel the young adult cancer movement forward. Stupid Cancer comprehensively addresses young adult cancer through advocacy, research, support, outreach, awareness, mobile health and social media. For more information, visit stupidcancer.org

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