WES Brands, Heaven Hill Note Strong Early Response For Michael Bublé’s Whiskey

Last fall, Canadian singer Michael Bublé teamed up with WES Brands and Heaven Hill to release Fraser & Thompson North American Whiskey. The project blends American and Canadian whiskies together and is named for a pair of rivers near Bublé’s grandfather’s home outside of Vancouver, Canada. The 42% abv whiskey carries a suggested price of $30, and has seen a strong initial response, with the first batch quickly selling out.

Fraser & Thompson is taking aim at an accessible market segment, both in terms of price and flavor profile, with Bublé telling SND the goal is for the brand to be respected by whiskey lovers while also appealing to consumers new to the category. The brand took roughly three years to develop, with co-founder and Canadian distiller Paul Cirka initially approaching Bublé about a collaboration. WES Brands became involved in the project when Southern Glazer’s Larry Ruvo introduced Bublé to WES Brands chairman (and former Southern Glazer’s president) Shelly Stein.

In turn, WES Brands connected Bublé and Cirka with Heaven Hill to kick off the process of selecting whiskies for the blend. “They were instrumental in allowing us access to enough high quality liquid at a reasonable price,” Cirka told SND. The whiskies used for Fraser & Thompson come from Heaven Hill’s stocks of Kentucky Bourbon and Canadian whisky, blended with input from Cirka. “I think that the partnership with Heaven Hill is allowing us access to a part of the market that we otherwise probably would’ve never been able to access,” he added. “They’re big enough to be able to satisfy the demand.”

In the WES Brands portfolio, Fraser & Thompson has joined Flecha Azul Tequila (backed by Mark Wahlberg) and BSB Flavored Whiskey. After a strong start in 2023, bigger things are expected for new whiskey label this year, with a new “Easy, now” campaign backing the brand across TV, online, retail, and out-of-home channels. —Shane English

Tagged : Fraser & Thompson, Michael Buble, Southern Glazer's, WES Brands

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