Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/31323
State of the Roses Not too long ago Four Roses wasn’t even available in the United States. Despite being the number-one-selling bourbon in the 1930s, its parent com- pany, Seagram’s, took it off U.S. shelves to focus on foreign markets. That’s why Four Roses remains one of the top-sell- ing bourbons in both European and Asian markets. But its own backyard was being neglected. In 2002, after a half-century of absence, new owner Kirin Brewery Company focused on the United States while maintaining the brand’s interna- tional prominence. Four Roses is now in 44 states and growing, Rutledge says. “We’re still just babies in the U.S. market,” he says. “We’ve been building barrel inventory since day one of being back.” They are targeting mixologists and the big markets like San Francisco and New York. Mixologists, especially, like the fact there’s so much variation in Rutledge’s ten recipes. “We just want to get Four Roses in the hands of mixologists,” the Master Distiller says. “Our Small Batch and Single Barrel are all uniquely different and will suit different drinks. This is our opportu- nity to grow throughout the U.S.” www.fourroses.us Jason Brauner, co-owner of Bourbon Bistro in Louisville, says Four Roses Single Barrel gives his restaurant something nobody else has. Big Barrel Demand Bar owners and retailers from across the country have taken advantage of the Four Roses Single Barrel program, says Rutledge. And if an owner can’t make it to Kentucky for a special tasting, Four Roses will ship samples. “This is unique to the industry for selection process,” Rutledge says. “We’ll put the retailer’s or restaurant’s logo on the Four Roses label design.” What makes the Four Roses bar- rel selection special is they let you do what you want with the barrel, explains Jason Brauner, co-owner of Louisville’s Bourbon Bistro, which has received awards from the U.K.’s Whisky Magazine and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. “There are several barrel programs out there,” Brauner says. “We do Four Roses, because they let us do un-chill-filtered.” Since 2005, Bourbon Bistro has purchased four barrels of Four Roses Private Selection Single Barrel. Brauner says they sell it at $12 a drink and include it in their Manhattans and cider cocktails. Most importantly, it gives his restaurant a touch nobody else has. “People come to our restaurant from all over the world,” he says. “They are bourbon connoisseurs and are always wanting to drink something they can’t get anywhere else. With our Four Roses Single Barrel, Bourbon Bistro is the only place they can get it.” Rutledge draws barrel samples of Four Roses for visiting retailers and restaurateurs. may 201 1 / the tasting panel /