News Briefs for November 4, 2021

•Compass Box No Name No. 3, Michter’s 20-year-old, and newcomers from Fuji and Blue Run are among the offerings featured in Whisky Advocate’s latest weekly roundup. The magazine’s website has all the details.

•Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits has appointed Michael Jeffrey as executive vice president and general manager for Colorado. In his new role Jeffrey will report to Mike McLaughlin, SGWS’s president for the central region. Before taking the lead in Colorado, Jeffrey served as vice president and general manager for Oregon, and has also worked as vice president of trade development for the Pacific Northwest. In all, he has over 30 years in the industry. Jeffrey succeeds Steve Noorlun who will retire at the end of 2021 after 23 years with the company.

•Frankfort, Kentucky’s Castle & Key Distillery has partnered with the Black Bourbon Guild to release a brand new series of whiskies, with 100% of sales going to the Diversity in Kentucky Distilling Scholarship program, a new initiative launched by the distillery and guild. The Untold Story of Kentucky Bourbon, Chapter 1 is bottled at 53.3% abv and is made from a mashbill of 73% corn, 10% rye, and 17% malted barley. Each year a new Untold Story will be introduced, with each release highlighting the contributions of Black Americans throughout Bourbon history. Chapter 1 retails for a suggested price of $150 a 750-ml. and only 425 bottles will be released. The Diversity in Kentucky Distilling Scholarship offers students of color $5,000 awards (for up to 2 years) to pursue distilling education and work in Kentucky.

•Oklahoma’s Coop Ale Works and Sonic Drive-In have expanded their collaborative hard seltzer to six new markets: Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Arizona. Sonic Hard Seltzer features popular flavors from the restaurant’s menu and comes in two variety packs—Tropical (featuring Ocean Water, Melon Medley, Mango Guava, and Orange Pineapple flavors) and Citrus (Cherry Limeade, Original Limeade, Classic Lemonade, and Lemon Berry)—with each can at 5% abv and 100 calories. This expansion marks the brand’s first release outside of Oklahoma.

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