The Idea
The Idea
It has long been said that great things can happen when people from different cultures and ways of life work together. For one, whiskey was brought to North America by British subjects. Irish and Scottish immigrants opened the first distilleries along the path to the West. Bourbon, named after a French dynasty, was developed by settlers like the Scots, Irish, Welsh, French, and Germans.
Coalition Whiskey itself is the brainchild of Leonid Yangarber, a veteran spirits business CEO; alongside Steve Thompson, a 40-year master of American whiskey and owner of Kentucky Artisan Distillery; and Ludwig Vanneron, a world-renowned winemaker from Bordeaux, France.
Over sips of great whiskey and fine wine, the triumvirate had the radical idea to offer the public the most flavorful of umber spirits – rye whiskey; and to finish the same in the finest wine barrels (barriques in French) from Bordeaux, in a bid to coax new and intriguing flavors.
Steve already had a select batch of 5-year-old Kentucky straight rye whiskey lovingly made from the Ryman variety of rye grown and harvested within a mile from his Crestwood, KY distillery. This, the coalition named Barrel Proof, and is also the base liquid for the signature Pauillac Barriques, Sauternes Barriques and Margaux Barriques.
The finished expressions are in no small part due to Ludwig’s expertise in sourcing the best Bordeaux wine barrels to complement – not overshadow – the distinct character of rye whiskey. Over 150 barrels were inspected by hand and nose, and 25 shipped from Bordeaux to Kentucky- where Steve carefully oversaw the finishing process over the course of the next few months.
Leonid not only smiles at how far Coalition Whiskey has gone (both literally and figuratively) in order to produce the best, but also because he’s already on the lookout for other industry experts to make new coalitions, and thus, new product offerings.
The way we like to retell our story: A spirits pioneer, a veteran whiskey distiller, and a world-renowned expert winemaker walk into a bar… and soon follow more experts for more coalitions and more possibilities.
The Idea
It has long been said that great things can happen when people from different cultures and ways of life work together. For one, whiskey was brought to North America by British subjects. Irish and Scottish immigrants opened the first distilleries along the path to the West. Bourbon, named after a French dynasty, was developed by settlers like the Scots, Irish, Welsh, French, and Germans.
Coalition Whiskey itself is the brainchild of Leonid Yangarber, a veteran spirits business CEO; alongside Steve Thompson, a 40-year master of American whiskey and owner of Kentucky Artisan Distillery; and Ludwig Vanneron, a world-renowned winemaker from Bordeaux, France.
Over sips of great whiskey and fine wine, the triumvirate had the radical idea to offer the public the most flavorful of umber spirits – rye whiskey; and to finish the same in the finest wine barrels (barriques in French) from Bordeaux, in a bid to coax new and intriguing flavors.
Steve already had a select batch of 5-year-old Kentucky straight rye whiskey lovingly made from the Ryman variety of rye grown and harvested within a mile from his Crestwood, KY distillery. This, the coalition named Barrel Proof, and is also the base liquid for the signature Pauillac Barriques, Sauternes Barriques and Margaux Barriques.
The finished expressions are in no small part due to Ludwig’s expertise in sourcing the best Bordeaux wine barrels to complement – not overshadow – the distinct character of rye whiskey. Over 150 barrels were inspected by hand and nose, and 25 shipped from Bordeaux to Kentucky- where Steve carefully oversaw the finishing process over the course of the next few months.
Leonid not only smiles at how far Coalition Whiskey has gone (both literally and figuratively) in order to produce the best, but also because he’s already on the lookout for other industry experts to make new coalitions, and thus, new product offerings.
The way we like to retell our story: A spirits pioneer, a veteran whiskey distiller, and a world-renowned expert winemaker walk into a bar… and soon follow more experts for more coalitions and more possibilities.