Maker’s Mark releasing a bourbon like never before to help restaurant industry
If you are looking for a way to support the restaurant and hospitality industry during the coronavirus pandemic, how about buying bourbon?
Louisville chef Ed Lee, who co-founded The Let’s Empower Employment Initiative in 2017 to create a more diverse and equitable restaurant industry, is partnering with Maker’s Mark to offer something extraordinary.
Maker’s Mark is releasing a limited-edition “CommUNITY Batch” bourbon, the only time that the distillery has released anything like it.
While Maker’s Mark has done many charitable offerings before, usually the selling point is a commemorative bottle that can be signed. This time, the difference is inside.
“That’s right, usually the bourbon stays the same and the bottle changes. This time we wanted to create a liquid, so there’s a lot of first for us in this project,” said Jane Bowie, Maker’s Mark director of innovation.
The bourbon maker teamed up with 37 restaurants, bars and retail partners, who have their own Maker’s Mark Private Selection blends. All agreed to let the distillery use their recipes for the bourbon.
“A lot of folks we partner with, such as Keeneland and the Silver Dollar in Louisville, share our community values,” Bowie said, so she ended up with 34 different barrels (a few of the Private Select partners use the same recipe) that were created and then blended together. After resting in the barrels for a few weeks, the whiskey was vatted so the flavors could marry together, she said.
The result is a one-of-a-kind 107.7-proof whiskey with a nose of caramel and almond, dark fruit, cherry, chocolate and spice, with cured tobacco, dried fruit and baking spice on the palate, according to the tasting notes.
“The liquid’s delicious,” Bowie said. “And it’s for charity, so you can feel good that all of that money will go to feed families. How often do you go buy a rare whiskey and it does that much good?”
There are only 7,500 bottles of it and it won’t be in stores. The bourbon is only available via The LEE Initiative, which is hosting special events across the country. Suggested minimum contribution for a bottle begins at $70; go to LEEInitiative.org to pre-order a bottle.
The first virtuals events will be on Dec. 1, known as #GivingTuesday and they vary according to the restaurant partners.
In Lexington, pick up a pre-ordered bottle and a cookie pack at Great Bagel and Bakery on Boston Road, for $80.
In Louisville, you can pre-order a bottle and get barbecue for two from 610 Magnolia, Lee’s restaurant, for $85.
And in Covington, you can pre-order your bottle of bourbon from Bouquet and get a jar of Bouquet’s house-made mustard with drive-through pickup.
There are other events around the country as well.
Anyone over 21 who buys a bottle will be invited to join a virtual tasting hosted by Lee and Bowie.
And for every attendee, Maker’s Mark will donate a meal through the initiative, which has provided more than 500,000 meals through relief kitchens nationwide.
“We’ve been honored to be able to help so many of our friends in the bar and restaurant industry over the past few months through our work with The LEE Initiative,” said Rob Samuels, chief distillery officer of Maker’s Mark. “When we asked our retail partners across the country if they’d be willing to donate their prized Private Selection recipes for this additional fundraising effort, we were blown away at the response. Seeing the community come together in this way has not only produced an exceptional bourbon, but a path towards providing the continued support that we’re fully committed to.”
They hope to raise at least $500,000 with the Maker’s Mark CommUNITY Batch, money that will be needed now more than ever with restaurants and bars closing to indoor service until Dec. 13 to stem the coronavirus surge.
To help the workers and feed families in need, The LEE Initiative will be setting up in Churchill Downs’ kitchens next week.
The LEE Initiative will hire 50 chefs out-of-work who will use the racetrack kitchen to prepare 8,000 boxed meals a week for Jefferson County Public School system families in need.
“We love working with The LEE Initiative to take the stigma out of getting a free meal and making sure families have a high-quality chef-prepared meal,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack executive chef David Danielson, in a news release. “We are very pleased with the success of the program so far. It has reignited our team, and we work to show the virtue of leadership with hospitality. While there is still much hard work to do and many problems to solve, nothing is possible without a seat at the table for all. Feeding people is in our hearts, and during this difficult time, it is uplifting to know we can help those in our community who are in need.”
All meals, which feed a family of four, will come frozen with instructions to reheat in the oven or microwave. The school district will handle distribution and make meals available on Tuesdays and Thursdays at their meal site pick locations. Further pickup details will be available through JCPS.
This story was originally published November 23, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
