The Russell’s Reserve bourbon brand is built around qualities of family legacy, bespoke craftsmanship, and hand-picked materials, which were all on display on Wednesday at an exclusive event.
Russell’s Reserve, in collaboration with leather makers Bas & Lokes and bespoke tailors G.A. Zink & Sons, hosted an evening called A Bond Made in Bourbon at The Officer’s Mess in the Kittyhawk bar in the Sydney CBD.
The evening showcased all three brands’ shared passion for quality, handmade craftsmanship, and a commitment to never cutting corners.
The effort during production was a significant investment. All three brands needed to appeal to customers with a taste for luxury, and the evening was designed to emphasise this.
Bookended by a painstaking wallet-making demonstration from Bas & Lokes and an expert tutorial on bespoke suit tailoring by Zink & Sons, guests were invited to taste a Single Barrel and a 10 Year Russell’s Reserve bourbon.
The bourbons were personally selected by the father/son master distiller combination of Jimmy and Eddie Russell, working at the Wild Turkey distillery (the Russell’s Reserve brand is their family legacy attached to the distillery).
Selection for these exclusive bourbons involves a painstaking tasting process as well as careful supervision over 10 years of ageing. The result is a pair of smooth and delicious bourbons.
The question, of course, is whether this can be translated to commercial success.
With an explosion in craft spirit and beverage offerings, the challenge is to cut through and reach consumers.
Partnerships like the ones on show during the evening will help raise their profile, but more work will be required to stitch up the market.
