WhistlePig and Brother’s Bond Just Dropped a Pair of Eco-Conscious Whiskeys
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So many spirits brands are focused on sustainability these days, and for good reason. You often hear terms like “grain-to-glass” and “renewable” applied to distilleries that are controlling production from the field to the bottle, and reducing their carbon footprint along the way. But one term that hasn’t gotten much use is “regenerative”—that is, until now, with the launch of a pair of whiskeys released as a collaboration between Brother’s Bond and WhistlePig.
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Both of these brands are very familiar to whiskey drinkers. WhistlePig has long been a leader in the premium rye category, sourcing most of its juice from Canada and MGP over the years. More recently, the Vermont distillery has been releasing expressions that are produced entirely in-house, selecting grains from local farmers and distilling and maturing the whiskey at its farm. Brother’s Bond is a more recent venture from actors turned whiskey mavens Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley. Since founding the brand in 2021, they have worked with MGP to contract distill and source bourbon and rye to become a pretty successful brand.
This new collaboration consists of two new releases from the brands: Brother’s Bond Regenerative Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and WhistlePig’s FarmStock Beyond Bonded Rye Whiskey. According to WhistlePig’s chief blender, Meghan Ireland, the partnership started when they met in Los Angeles. “It’s unusual for whiskey competitors to convene over our secret sauce, but for the chance to pave the way for the industry in responsible farming? We were all about it,” she said in a statement.
“Our goal is to create a movement for sustainable change within the spirits industry,” added Somerhalder. “Together with WhistlePig, we share a commitment to sustainable craftsmanship and invite other brands who have this same mission to join in the efforts to protect our planet.” To that end, a portion of the proceeds of the sales of both whiskeys will go to Regenerate America, a non-profit focused on sustainability in farming.
These sound like lofty ideals, so how do they actually translate into what’s in the bottle? For Brother’s Bond, this meant working with a new distilling partner, Southern Distilling Company in North Carolina. The bourbon is a blend of two liquids: 3-year-old bourbon and 6-year-old wheated bourbon that were made from regenerative grains grown locally in the state. That term refers to a style of farming that is meant to rejuvenate and restore the land that grains are grown on through practices that increase the nutrients in the soil and reduce carbon emissions, among other factors. The point is to look at the long term instead of the short term for the land, crops, and even the farmers involved. “Regenerative agriculture, a holistic farming approach that builds the health of the soil, is at the heart of this newest expression,” said Somerhalder.
WhistlePig’s FarmStock Beyond Bonded Rye is a little different. The brand got some flack for using the term “Beyond Bonded” a few years ago, because bottled in bond is actually a very specific legal requirement for whiskey—exactly 100 proof, at least 4 years old, and the product of one distillery and one distillation season. This rye meets those requirements, but it’s bottled at 100.1 proof . . . so just “beyond” bonded. It’s a single-barrel straight rye whiskey produced in Vermont from a mashbill of 100 percent Danko rye and aged in Vermont oak barrels. The distillery has put environmentally friendly practices in place for production, including reducing runoff, converting all waste to renewable energy, and using water only from the well onsite. “This year, we’re going beyond not only with our whiskey release but with our sustainable farming,” said Ireland. “We’re adopting regenerative farming practices to improve soil health, reduce erosion, and support Vermont’s bee diversity.”
You can purchase each whiskey separately—$60 for the Brother’s Bond bourbon, and $110 for the WhistlePig rye—or you can go to the WhistlePig online store now to buy the two whiskeys as a bundle for $190 that also comes with a “Regenerate America” hat. And if you’re interested in comparing these whiskeys to other expressions from each brand, you can find Brother’s Bond and WhistlePig bourbon and rye available to purchase at ReserveBar now.
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