Louisville, Kentucky (October 15, 2013) – Louisville Distilling Company, LLC is delighted to announce the appointment of Kevin Curtis as the Company’s new Distillery Operations Manager.  He will manage all distillery operations for Angel’s Envy, the super-premium bourbon of uncompromising character and quality, which includes managing the distillery, warehousing, bottling, shipping, quality control, maintenance, and boiler functions.

Kevin worked alongside the late Lincoln Henderson for nearly 20 years at Brown-Forman, and was chosen for the position because he will proudly carry on the Henderson Family’s tradition of creating fine spirits, and also assist as they continue to experiment and push the envelope.  He will also work closely with Kyle Henderson as Kyle continues to hone his blending and distillation skills.

“I’m very grateful to have worked closely with Lincoln for so many years,” said Mr. Curtis.  “I’ll proudly honor his memory and ensure the highest possible standards for his beloved Angel’s Envy brand going forward.”

During his tenure at Brown-Forman, Kevin oversaw day-to-day distillery operations, including warehousing, bottling, grain delivery and handling, yeast propagation, mashing, fermentation, distillation, new whiskey gauging, quality control, lab testing and procedures, sensory testing, sanitation, safety and environmental issues.  He successfully managed a start-up distillery and bottling facility through 13 straight years of double-digit growth (20-30% per year) and a team of nearly 30 people.  He also implemented a bottling expansion in 2004, increasing processing capacity from 1,200 to 6,000 gallons and line speed by 60%.  His last three years at Brown-Forman were spent managing production at a distillery with a yearly capacity of over nine million proof gallons.

Kevin most recently served as Distillery Operations Manager for Michter’s Distillery, where he led the charge to plan, design and install a world-class, craft-size distillery and bottling facility and a stand-alone 50,000 case/year bottling facility.

“Kevin will be a great addition to the team,” said Wes Henderson, Chief Operating Officer.  “His experience with day to day distillery operations will be invaluable as we build our new facility.  We’re also thrilled to have someone with his comprehensive expertise who also had the benefit of working alongside Dad for many years.”

Kevin will also oversee development of the new Angel’s Envy distillery and brand experience center, which will be located in downtown Louisville, and is expected to be up and running in late 2014.  Ultimately, in addition to his production duties, he will manage tour operations, tastings and VIP tours.  While at Brown-Forman, he worked with a 25-member project team to completely renovate and refurbish the Woodford Reserve Distillery.  That two year project, which cost more than $10 million, is now a National Historical Landmark hosting over 99,000 visitors a year and with projected sales of over 150,000 nine liter cases in 2010.

Kevin earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Louisville, in  Louisville, Kentucky.  He lives in Louisville with his wife, Alisa, and their three daughters.

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 2013.  Heaven Can Wait.  Please Drink Responsibly.

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Chicago, IL – (October 2, 2013) – Better Brands Beverage Co. (BBBCo.) announced that it has chosen Michigan to be among the first markets to launch Salute American, a new brand with a purpose.  The Company’s inaugural offering is an American-made, premium vodka that’s committed to investing in the future of U.S. veterans who have proudly served their country.  To that end, the Company will donate $1 for every 750ml bottle sold to approved veterans’ charities – a declaration etched on every bottle.

Since the brand launched earlier this year, BBBCo. has committed more than $50,000 to worthy Veterans organizations, including the FVC, Purple Heart Homes and Veteran’s Farm through Work Vessels for Veterans.  As part of the Michigan launch, BBBCo. will donate $5,000 to Homes for Our Troops to help build a specially adapted home for Sergeant Nick Koulchar in Brighton, Michigan.  Mr. Koulchar lost both of his legs above the knees when an Explosively Formed Penetrator pierced the passenger side of his vehicle, in Sadr City, Iraq in 2008.  The groundbreaking ceremony for the new home will take place at Lot 27 Grayhaven in Brighton on October 19 at 11:00am.

“Receiving this home from Homes for Our Troops will give me a new sense of freedom and take away the worry about where I will live,” said Mr. Koulchar.  “No matter how big or small the contribution, it shows that you care and that makes all the difference to those of us who return home requiring assistance.  Thank you!”

Salute American is the brainchild of CEO-founder Pete Kelly, a passionate entrepreneur who wanted to make a difference in people’s lives through the ‘pay-it-forward’ philosophy.  Pete couldn’t think of a more deserving group than U.S. Veterans – a band of brothers with increasingly high unemployment and homelessness rates*.  Salute American became a practical way to help maintain and create jobs in the US for veterans, and to generate ongoing economic success, stronger families and stronger communities.

“Salute American is more than a name – it’s our mission,” said Pete Kelly, CEO-founder, Better Brands BevCo.  “We prove our patriotism by giving back and paying it forward.”

Salute American Vodka is pure American from start to finish.  The vodka, which was approved for the USA Certified™ Seal, is made from corn and wheat grains straight from the heartland.  It’s then four times distilled for a smooth and sweet taste that works well mixed or neat.  The canteen-shaped bottle bearing the red, white and blue, was manufactured in Park Hills, Missouri, by Piramal, and distilled and bottled at Lidestri Spirits in Rochester, NY.

In addition to Michigan, the brand is available in on- and off-premise accounts in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri and Southern Illinois.  The suggested retail price for a 750ml bottle is $19.99, which may vary by market.  Salute American Vodka is 80-proof and 40% alcohol by volume.  The brand recently received a Silver Medal and an 87-point “highly recommended” rating from the prestigious Beverage Testing Institute in the category of “Best Value Vodka $20 and under.”  For more information, please visit www.saluteamerican.com “like” us on facebook www.facebook.com/SaluteAmericanVodka and follow us on twitter @SaluteAmerican.

* According to Labor Department Data, the unemployment rate among male veterans, ages 18-24, is nearly 27%.  There are currently more than 100,000 homeless Vets in the US.

About Better Brands BevCo.

Privately owned and Midwest-based, Better Brands Beverage Co. is a for-profit company committed to investing in Veterans’ Charities that create jobs for Veterans.  The Company was founded in 2012 by CEO Pete Kelly who passionately believes in making a difference in people’s lives through the ‘pay-it-forward’ philosophy.

About Homes for our Troops

Homes for our Troops is a national non-profit organization founded in 2004 that is strongly committed to helping those who have selflessly given to our country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries since September 11, 2001.  We assist severely injured Veterans and their families by raising money, building materials and professional labor, and by coordinating the process of building a home that provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently.  The homes provided by Homes for Our Troops are given at no cost to the Veterans we serve.

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (October 14, 2013) – Governor Pat Quinn will open the March on Springfield for Marriage Equality on October 22 with a welcome. He will be followed by speakers that represent the breadth and depth of the equal marriage coalition in Illinois. All speakers will deliver a common message to Illinois legislators: A majority of Illinoisans support the freedom to marry and the time for marriage equality in Illinois is now.

LGBT organizations, families and faith leaders will be joined at the podium by national and regional coalition partners for the 90 minute rally. They include:

• Michael Carrigan, President of the Illinois AFL-CIO
• Rudy Lozano, Uniting America Director, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
• Jamie Frazier, Senior Pastor, Lighthouse Church
• Bonnie Grabenhofer, National Action Vice President, National Organization for Women (NOW)
• Rev. Mark Kiyimba, Leader of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kampala, Uganda
• Toni Weaver, President, Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Northern Illinois Region)
• Scott Cross, Illinois Chapter Lead, President Barack Obama’s “Organizing for Action”
• Brigid Leahy, Director, Planned Parenthood of Illinois
• Bishop Carlton Pearson, Founder & Leader, New Dimensions Chicago Church
• Cinda Klickna, President, Illinois Education Association

Families, couples and LGBT youth from groups that are part of the Illinois Unites coalition for equal marriage will also tell their personal stories to the thousands gathered for the March. The coalition, formed by Equality Illinois, Lambda Legal, the ACLU, and The Civil Rights Agenda and almost 100 other organizations, is led by John Kohlhepp who will also speak at the rally.

A diverse group of lesbian, bisexual, gay & transgender activists and organizers will also speak including:

• LZ Granderson, openly gay ESPN Senior Writer & CNN Contributor
• Alexis Martinez, March on Springfield Co-Chair, and Native American Transgender activist
• Marquell Smith, African-American gay veteran and founder, Inclusive Community Project
• Andy Thayer, co-founder, Gay Liberation Network
• Robert Castillo, Latino community activist
• Vernita Gray, African-American community activist
• Liz Thomson, Director, Asian American Resource Center, University of Illinois/Chicago
• Bro. Michael Oboza, Founder, Bisexual Queer Alliance Chicago
• Tracy Baim, March on Springfield Co-Chair and Founder & Publisher, Windy City Media Group

More than three dozen elected leaders from state and local government who support marriage equality will be introduced at the rally by Kevin Boyer and Kim Hunt, co-chairs of the March on Springfield. The full list of expected politicians will be available prior to the rally. A full list of all the speakers will also be available at http://www.marchonspringfield.org.

“We march on Springfield to make sure that the voices of people from all over our state are heard loud and clear,” said the 13 co-chairs of the March on Springfield said in a joint statement. “It is time for Illinois to treat all of its citizens equally, regardless of sexual orientation or gender, and we call on the Illinois House of Representatives to pass Senate Bill 10, the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, during the fall veto session.”

The March on Springfield rally will take place from 1 to 2:30 pm. It will be preceded by Rock The March – a free one-hour concert featuring top LGBT talent with Illinois roots. At the rally’s conclusion, Illinois families will lead the attendees on a march around the State Capitol.

About the March

The March on Springfield for Marriage Equality will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013, the scheduled first day of the fall veto session of the Illinois state legislature. The “March on Springfield” is part of a broad grassroots strategy to secure final passage of Senate Bill 10, the “Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act,” already approved by the Illinois Senate. Once adopted, Illinois will become the 14th state plus the District of Columbia, to treat all of its citizens equally under state marriage laws, and all married people in Illinois will be treated equally under federal law. For more information, visit http://www.MarchOnSpringfield.org, or find the March at Facebook.com/MarchOnSpringfield or on Twitter @IllinoisMarches.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – (September 24, 2013) – Welcome to Generation Moustache! Movember 2013 has arrived, encouraging men to grow and women to support the Mo (slang for moustache) for 30 days of November. Through the power of the moustache awareness and funds are raised for men’s health to combat prostate and testicular cancer. Celebrating its tenth anniversary of changing the face of men’s health, Movember once again is calling on all men and women to register at
Movember.com to become an official participant for this year’s moustache season.

To celebrate Movember, registered men, known as Mo Bros, start November 1 clean-shaven and grow their moustache for 30 days while recruiting friends, family and colleagues to donate funds to their Mogrowing efforts. Registered women, known as Mo Sistas, are just as important to the Movember campaign and get involved in the same way as Mo Bros, except they don’t have to grow a Mo. They register at Movember.com, start a team and recruit the men in their lives to participate, donate, fundraise, plan, participate in events, and encourage the men in their lives to be proactive with their health.

“Over the past 10 years, the moustache has emerged as a unifying symbol and flag bearer in the quest to combat prostate and testicular cancer,” said Mark Hedstrom, Country Director at Movember. “We are inspired by each of our Mo Bros and Mo Sistas’ individual moustache journeys and look forward to building off of last year’s record breaking 1.1 million participants who raised over $147 million globally, to have an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health.”

In 2012, more than 209,000 Americans grew and supported the Mo, raising $21,000,000 for men’s health programs. In the US, programs directed by the Movember Foundation, are focused on awareness and education, living with and beyond cancer, and research to achieve everlasting positive impact on the face
of men’s health.

Details about Movember funded programs can be found in the Program Index.

• Awareness & Education: Movember delivers a high-impact awareness and education program for men’s health, powered by the growth of the moustache. Each moustache generates 2,413 conversations during the month of Movember and 79% of Movember participants discussed their health with friends, family or colleagues.

• Living with and Beyond Cancer: Movember funds cancer navigation services through the LIVESTRONG Foundation to help men living with and beyond prostate and testicular cancer. These services provide financial assistance, counseling, clinical trials and fertility preservation services for men and their families who have been affected by cancer.

• Research: Movember funds world-class research through the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF). This includes 9 Movember Challenge Awards, funding first-in-field, cross-disciplinary research teams focused on accelerating progress towards the reduction of death and suffering due to recurrent or advanced prostate cancer. The Movember Foundation created the Global Action Plan (GAP) in 2010. Movember’s Global Action Plan was set up to address critical challenges in men’s health through global collaboration.

For more information, please visit Movember.com.

Connect with Movember on Facebook,Twitter, YouTube, flickr, and Pintrest.

About Movember
Movember aims to forever change the face of men’s health through the power of the moustache, by raising vital awareness and funds for men’s health issues to combat prostate and testicular cancer and mental health challenges. Movember programs are focused on awareness and education, living with and beyond cancer, and research to achieve our vision of an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health.  Since 2003, three million participants have raised over $446MM for the cause, funding more than 550 programs globally, with official Movember campaigns taking place in 21 countries. Movember is fully accredited by the Better Business Bureau, and for the past two years, has been named a Top 100 best NGO by The Global Journal. For more information please visit www.movember.com. Movember is a registered 501(c)(3) charity.

Papa’s Pilar^™, the new super-premium rum inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s spirit of adventure that’s hell-bent on returning rum to its gutsy roots, is expanding its footprint in the U.S.A.  Following a sold-out launch in Florida, the brand will be introduced this summer into Northern California, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas (Austin & San Antonio) and Washington, DC.  The inaugural Dark & Blonde varieties are born from the finest rums of the Caribbean, Central America and the U.S.A. and then solera aged and blended in a unique process here in the states.

Papa’s Pilar is meant to rekindle a sense of adventure in us all and replace the Hawaiian shirts and umbrella drinks with which rum has become associated.  “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.

BOLD. WELL-TRAVELED. DEEPLY NUANCED.

Papa’s Pilar Dark and Blonde are born of the finest rums and pay homage to Hemingway’s exploits on land and sea, respectively.  Each is hand-selected from ports-of-call throughout the Caribbean, Central America and the U.S.A. for their age and distinct character.  Once brought to the U.S.A., the Papa’s Pilar team of Master Blenders artfully marry the rums in a unique solera aging and blending process, using American Oak Bourbon barrels, Port Wine casks, and finishing in Spanish Sherry casks.

Papa’s Pilar Dark, which was awarded “a Double Gold” Medal at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, is a bold and complex rum.  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.  Papa’s Pilar Blonde is a crisp and nuanced rum, which includes column stilled aged rums 3-7 years old.  At 84-proof, it has a layered and exceptionally smooth finish.  Papa’s Pilar Blonde was awarded “Best in Class” White Rum at the 2013 Rum Renaissance Festival in Miami, Florida.

Leading the creation expedition is rum importer and supplier Jay Maltby, known best for his executive roles at Bacardi USA, Cruzan Rum, and IncuBrands LLC.  He is joined by Lincoln Henderson, a seasoned bourbon innovator who was enlisted to advise on formula creation.

“Papa’s Pilar is the only rum supplier utilizing a solera that contains rums of various ages and sources of supply – each unique in their own right,” said Jay Maltby, lead master blender, Papa’s Pilar.  “This exclusive process creates a one of kind liquid that is singular in its creation and final product.”

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, and the chain link makes it practical for any excursion.  The lion heads represent nobility while the Rooster on the Medallion pays homage to Key West, an island where Hemingway and his boat Pilar once resided and remain celebrated fixtures within the community.

Papa’s Pilar rums will be available in 750ml bottles in both on- and off-premise accounts in Northern California, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas (Austin & San Antonio) 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 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.  In May, the Family made a $30,000 donation to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), a highly reputable worldwide organization that embodies many of Ernest Hemingway’s core values, from sport and adventure to protection of natural resources.   As one of the founding members and a member of the IGFA Hall of Fame, Hemingway contributed greatly to the sport – while marrying his passions for angling and writing.

“We worked closely with the Hemingway family to ensure the brand and product captured Hemingway’s true essence,” said Lindsey Kops, brand manager, Papa’s Pilar.  “Today, we raise a glass to this exciting new adventure and a man who inspired us all to never be a spectator.”

“Two of my Dad’s favorite rituals were hunting buffalo and enjoying rum, especially a Papa Doble,” said Patrick Hemingway, the second son of Ernest.  “From the liquid to the intricacies of the bottle, Papa’s Pilar pays homage to a great man and arguably the world’s greatest adventurer.  My Papa would be proud.”

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

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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