Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/343109
july 2014 / the tasting panel / 89 from the Ewing family's Southfork Ranch as well as J. R.'s signature. "I knew that if I could get someone to drink it—and not just collect it—they'd be getting a really good bourbon." The creation of the brand was tailor-made for product placement, despite the death of Larry Hagman (the actor who portrayed J. R. in both series) in 2012 at age 81. For die-hard fans, Ewing lives on, in part, with this signature bourbon, which makes occa- sional appearances in the show. And, naturally, Texans have taken well to the spirit. "It's been in Texas for about one month and we've done close to a thousand cases with a lot of re-orders," says Howard. "From December to March, pretty much all we did was focus on the Texas market, establishing new relationships and strengthening the ones we already had." Now, in about 20 states and growing, J. R. Ewing is also set to launch interna- tionally by the year's end, and Howard says there is always the possibility of Warner Bros. creating additional products to tie in with the show. All that requires managing various trade channels and developing additional concepts, but he says this first product has made the future that much easier for Prairie Creek. After sampling J. R. Ewing, a buyer recently told him that it was "authentic" and "true to its roots." In other words, they got it right. "We're establishing new relationships across the country and strengthening the ones we already had," says Mike Howard, CEO, Prairie Creek Beverages.