Molson Coors Beverage Company is expanding its adult beverage line by getting into American Whiskey. The launch of Five Trail whiskey, its first full-strength whiskey will be a blend of Coors malt, Colorado water and Kentucky made whiskey. Now you may be thinking that sounds like a Frankenstein. Well, not likely since its Kentucky partner hails from the Bourbon Capital of the World. Its whiskey partner is none other than Bardstown Bourbon Company located in Bardstown, Kentucky.
Introducing Coors Whiskey Co. and ‘Five Trail Whiskey’
Starting September 2021 under the banner Coors Whiskey Co. the company will begin distribution of Five Trail Whiskey via its Molson Coors’ distributor network.
The company says Five Trail Whiskey is a 95-proof, ultra-premium whiskey, that was distilled, blended and bottled in partnership with Bardstown Bourbon Co. It’s made from a blend of Colorado single-malt whiskey and three bourbons, cut to proof with Rocky Mountain water.
The whiskey is the first full-strength spirit from Molson Coors and represents the company’s latest step beyond the beer aisle, a key part of a strategy to diversify and premiumize its portfolio of beverages.
“This is not just about acquiring a brand or working with a distiller on a blend,” says Kimberli Fox, Molson Coors’ marketing manager for wine and spirits. “This is a true collaboration that marries Colorado provenance with innovative distilling techniques of pioneering Kentucky-based distillers.”
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Molson Coors’ decision to begin its spirits journey with a whiskey is premised on three factors.
- The spirit’s unbridled growth over the past two decades
- A built-in affinity of beer drinkers for a whiskey produced by a brewery
- And a desire to build more premium offerings within the company’s portfolio.
“While whiskey drinkers are a very loyal group, discovery is a key theme. They love to explore, expand their collections and try new things,” Fox says. “That makes this a very interesting place for us to play as a beverage company. Within whiskey, there’s so much rich territory to explore and you don’t have to stay within the confines of a singular consumer expectation.”
That gives Coors Whiskey Co. an opportunity to deliver what Fox says are unique, limited-edition whiskeys made with high-country barley from its malthouse in Golden, Colo., and recipes that could change year-to-year.
The goal, Fox says, is to build a brand: “Five Trail isn’t planned as a one-off proposition.”
Five Trail Whiskey is bottled at 95 proof (45% BV) with a suggested retail price of $59.99 for a 750-mililiter bottle. Five Trail Whiskey will be available from retailers in Colorado, Georgia, Nevada and New York.
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