Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/253609
10 / the tasting panel / february 2014 INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT He's No Chicken C hicken Cock Whiskey, the 157-year- old brand made famous as a bootleg whiskey during Prohibition, unveiled its sponsorship of professional bull rider Reese Cates at the 2014 PBR Built Ford Tough Series season opener, January 3–5 at Madison Square Garden. Cates, a four-time PBR World Finals qualiier and the 2008 PBR Rookie of the Year, carried the Chicken Cock Whiskey banner as the chutes opened in New York and the 24-year-old native of El Dorado, Arkansa revived his lifelong dream of winning a PBR world title. "We're very excited to have Reese Cates riding for Chicken Cock Whiskey," said Matti Anttila, CEO of Chicken Cock Distillers which revived the heritage brand in 2013. Priced at $19.99/750 ml., Chicken Cock is available in Cinnamon, Southern Spiced and Root Beer. Infinium Spirits to Import Teeling Whiskey Portfolio T eeling Whiskey has appointed Ininium Spirits as exclusive importer of the Teeling Whiskey portfolio of premium Irish whiskey brands to the U.S. market. Teeling family whiskey heritage dates back to 1782 in in Dublin, where Walter Teeling set up a distillery. The current generation, formerly independent bottlers, aims to bring Teeling Whiskey home by establishing the irst new whiskey distillery in Dublin in over 125 years. "We are delighted to be able to partner with Ininium Spirits on launching our Teeling Whiskey brand in the U.S. market," comments Jack Teeling, founder of the Teeling Whiskey Company. "Given the importance of the U.S. for any Irish whiskey, we took our time select- ing our importer and believe we have found a like-minded family-owned partner to take advantage of the opportunity for our unique expressions of Irish whiskey. Sharing and Caring I n November, Columbia Crest launched its Sharing Joy, Sharing Meals campaign at retail stores nationwide. This is the third year the winery will donate up to $100,000 to food banks across the country. That computes to about 2.4 million meals served. In late December, Ste Michelle Wine Estates, producer of Columbia Crest wines, presented a check for $6,500 to the St. Anthony's Food Bank in San Francisco as part of the $100k national commitment. St Anthony's makes up to 3,000 meals a day, and up to 6,000 meals on holidays, for the poor in downtown San Francisco. On December 18 at The Waterfront restaurant in San Francisco, the folks from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates donated a $6500 check to St . Anthony's. Pictured left to right are: Matthew McGrath, Chief Operating Officer, Cambrian Capitol, L.P.; Margaret Avellar, Business Development Manager, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (SMWE); Kari Menconi Moore, Antinori Business Development Manager, SMWE; Pat Gallagher, Director of Development, St. Anthony's; Matthew Ingram, Sales Rep, Southern Wine & Spirits; Al Falchi, Owner, Waterfront Restaurant; Dan Horsch, Division Manager/N. CA & Hawaii, SMWE; Catherine Kelliher, Major Donor Manager, St Anthony's; and Richard Canty, VP Sales, San Francisco, SW&S. Chicken Cock Whiskey bull rider Reese Cates hangs on at Madison Square Garden.