News Briefs for February 12, 2024

•Brown-Forman has announced new global marketing leadership for its American whiskey brands. Taking the helm for Jack Daniel’s marketing is Mark Bacon, who’s been named global managing director for the Tennessee whiskey. Bacon previously served in senior marketing roles at Woodford Reserve and has worked for Brown-Forman since 1989. Mia Simpson Culp, previously Brown-Forman’s managing director for Tequila, has been named global managing director for Old Forester and Woodford Reserve. She’s been with the company since 2012.

•Rémy Cointreau’s Westland Distillery has launched Solum Edition 2, the single malt maker’s limited edition peated whiskey. This year’s release is bottled at 50% abv and combines whiskies aged four years in Bourbon casks (42%), six years in new American oak (24%), and two 4-year-old whiskies aged in different new American oak casks (19% and 14%). The release carries a suggested price of $150 a 700-ml. and is now available in Washington state with a wider rollout following later this month.

•Sonoma County, California whiskey maker Redwood Empire was founded in 2015 by Derek Benham, owner of wine and spirits company Purple Brands, and master distiller Jeff Duckhorn. From the start, the mission has been to create grain-to-glass whiskey that explores the terroir of the Golden State, and now Redwood Empire is diving deeper into grains with three new whiskeys. Whisky Advocate has the full story.

•Smirnoff is debuting new Smash Vodka Sodas, backed by a marketing blitz around yesterday’s Super Bowl, with the brand serving as the official vodka sponsor of the NFL. Smirnoff Smash Vodka Soda includes Watermelon Lime, Raspberry Peach, Pineapple Orange, and Strawberry Dragonfruit flavors with 100 calories a can, retailing at $18 per 12-pack, or $9 per 6-pack. Over the weekend, Diageo hosted a Smirnoff Smash “Pickle Bowl” to introduce the new offerings, featuring celebrities including Vernon Davis, Lance Bass, and others competing on the pickleball court.

Tagged : Brown-Forman, Diageo, Jack Daniel's, Old Forester, Redwood Empire, Smirnoff, Woodford Reserve

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