The rare expression is said to be the oldest rye whiskey available on the market. Distilled in 1999 and drawn from Cooper Spirits’ prized inventory of “honey barrels”—personally selected by the late Rob Cooper from Alberta Distillers’ rickhouses.

“The 25-Year-Old is the pinnacle of our ultra-aged rye whiskey collection and a genuine time capsule from the last century,” says Chad Solomon, Director of Innovation at Cooper Spirits. “This whiskey has been patiently waiting a quarter century to be experienced, developing extraordinary complexity through decades of gentle aging in Canada’s cold, dry climate. The meticulous barrel-selection process that Rob Cooper established has allowed us to create a rye of unparalleled richness and depth that showcases what happens when an outstanding distillate meets perfect aging conditions and patient stewardship.”

Only 250 bottles of Lock Stock & Barrel 25-Year-Old (111 proof) are limited to available worldwide for $999.99.

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Created to celebrate Lane’s recent album, Denim & Diamonds, the collection consists of three products inspired by both the brand and the artist: Duelin’ Deck of Cards ($15), Diamond Whiskey Glass ($25), Set of 4 Vinyl Cocktail Coasters ($15). Fans can also buy the full bundle for $55.

“We’re a brand that has long taken inspiration from the soulfulness of the rock genre that has transcended decade over decade, much like our Rock & Rye Old Fashioned,” says Chad Solomon, Director of Innovation at Cooper Spirits Co. “The Whiskey & Diamonds Collection, inspired by a true country rocker herself, provides us the opportunity to better connect with our fans in the comfort of their home.”

“Slow & Low has kept my motor running out here on the road for years. I truly couldn’t think of a better drink to wind down after all these nights on the town,” adds Nikki Lane. “The Whiskey & Diamonds Collection is the perfect medley of my vintage style and favorite beverage.”

This is not Lane’s first time designing home goods. A vintage lover for years, she founded vintage clothing store, High Class Hillbilly, in 2011 and is the mastermind behind the Stage Stop Marketplace at Stagecoach.

The Whiskey & Diamonds Collection is available to purchase here. Note, the Collection is limited edition, so there will be no restocks once all quantities have been purchased.

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Inspired by classic cocktails, Whiskey Sunshine and Whiskey Buck were created by craft cocktail pioneer Chad Solomon, who also serves as the Director of Innovation for the brand, along with Christy Pope, Director of Brands & Marketing. The two bring their expertise from behind the bar to make ready-to-drink cocktails you would expect from cocktail bars.

The Whiskey Sunshine is a take on the Rye Whiskey Collins, and is made with real lemon juice, yuzu, orange and grapefruit. The Whiskey Buck, said to be the forefather of the “mule,” this is a cocktail that consists of ginger spice, fresh lemon, rye whiskey and ginger beer.

“Having worked on the creation of Slow & Low, I’m well versed in the DNA of the brand and my goal is now to grow the Slow & Low universe with new expressions that share the same integrity as our original Rock & Rye expression,” said Chad Solomon, Director of Innovation at Cooper Spirits Co. “Using classic cocktails as inspiration, Whiskey Sunshine and Whiskey Buck deliver on quality while enabling us to appeal to that modern consumer who values the convenience of RTDs.”

These latest RTD expressions follow the launch of Rock & Rye and Coffee Old Fashioned, which was produced in partnership with Intelligentsia Coffee.

Slow & Low’s Whiskey Sunshine and Whiskey Buck. are currently available in New York, Florida, Texas and California in 4-packs  for $19.99. A national roll out expected in 2023.

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The only US made 20-year old rye whiskey currently available on the market, the Lock, Stock & Barrel 20-Year is sourced from Alberta Distillers Ltd. barrels that were hand-selected by the late distiller Robert J. Cooper. It’s made from a rare mash bill of 100% rye grain in copper pot stills, and a “robust cut” is then selected and aged in cold weather in newly charred American oak barrels.

Because American whiskeys must be aged in new charred oak barrels to be labeled bourbon or rye, they run the risk of becoming over-oaked the longer they’re aged. Lock, Stock & Barrel 20-Year avoids this result due to the cold climate, 3.5 barrel-char and lack of toasting.

“Rye was only in the infancy stages of its revival when Rob began purchasing barrels, cultivating an incredible library built for long aging,” said Chad Solomon, Cooper Spirits’ Director of Trade Advocacy and Innovation. “His foresight has allowed us to continue producing premium spirits like the Lock, Stock & and Barrel line, and I’m proud to continue this legacy with the launch of the 20-Year.”

The acclaimed Lock, Stock & Barrel series derives from the company’s vast library of whiskey stocks in which all of the barrels were specifically selected by Cooper. The series debuted in 2013 with the 13-Year expression, followed by the 16-Year and 18-Year.

The whiskey is packed in an opaque black glass bottle was designed, in part, to protect the aged whiskey from light exposure. Allocated to just 3,000 bottles, Lock, Stock & Barrel 20-Year Rye Whiskey is available at $389.

The post Cooper Spirits’ Lock, Stock & Barrel Returns With 20-Year appeared first on The Whiskey Lifestyle.

Taken from the Scottish term for the process of blending several single malts in a vat to create a new flavor, this version incorporates five straight ryes from North America aged anywhere from 4 years to 18 years.

Initially released in 2015, Hochstadter’s Vatted Rye is the first rye to use the “vatted” designation. Straight rye whiskeys are combined in a vat and married, the liquid is then proofed down to 50% ABV/100 proof. This year’s version incorporates ryes from Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and California, all of which have been aged in American oak barrels with a No.4 Char (aka the “alligator char”) and selected from the Cooper Spirits’ whiskey library, which was curated by the late Robert Cooper.

“Vatted Rye is still a significantly misunderstood category,” said Chad Solomon, Cooper Spirits’ Director of Trade Advocacy and Innovation. “Vatting adds a complexity to the liquid and gives it a unique flavor profile that would be hard to achieve otherwise. What’s truly incredible about this product is Rob Cooper’s vision and foresight. Knowing the rye category was going to explode, he strategically curated the barrels in the company’s library to ensure long-term success. His overall goal was to create a product that over-delivered in every aspect, and we achieved that with Vatted.”

Hochstadter’s Vatted Rye is best enjoyed straight or in cocktails like the Old Fashioned, Manhattan and the Julep. Limited to just 1,500 cases, the expression is available for $59.99.

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Solomon and Pope have over a decade of experience under their belts. They were part of the hospitality team at Sasha Petraske’s renowned Milk & Honey Bar in NYC, and held other stints at Little Branch, Julie Reiner’s Flatiron Lounge, Audrey Saunders’ Pegu Club, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market. In 2006, the duo co-founded Cuffs & Buttons, a craft cocktail consultancy, creating cocktails at high-profile events, crafting beverage programs and training bartenders across the globe. In 2014, they opened craft cocktail salon the Midnight Rambler in the basement of The Joule Dallas in Dallas, Texas. The bar was named “Hotel Bar of the Year” 2019 by Night Club & Bar magazine, a “Top 4” nominee for the second year in a row as “Best American Hotel Bar” by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, amongst many other local and national accolades.

“Robert’s spirit and ingenuity is alive today in Cooper Spirits and its products,” said Andrea Cromaz, Vice President of Marketing. “Chad and Christy are invaluable assets, not just because of their insights and abilities, but because we see that same spark Robert had in both of them. We’re thrilled to welcome them to the Cooper Spirits family and look forward to its future and continued growth.”

The Cooper Spirits Co. founder Robert Cooper is most commonly known for creating St-Germain elderflower liqueur. Cooper sold the brand to Bacardi in 2012, but driven by his aspirations and continued to build his spirits portfolio. Delving into whiskey, he launched Lock, Stock & Barrel, a fine 13-year-old straight rye, which was followed by Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock and Rye, inspired by America’s oldest pre-bottled cocktail featuring rye whiskey, navel oranges, honey, rock candy and bitters. It was with this product that Cooper’s path intertwined with Solomon’s and Pope’s, as they worked in tandem to develop the name formulation, branding, and launch of the product. From there, Cooper went on to create Hochstadter’s Vatted Rye Whiskey and Hochstadter’s Family Reserve Straight Rye Whiskey, as well as reintroduce Crème Yvette, a berry-violet liqueur, from his family’s Charles Jacquin et Cie imprint. Solomon and Pope now take the helm and introduce the next chapter of Cooper Spirits.

As Director of Trade Advocacy and Innovation, Solomon will primarily be tasked with driving trade and consumer awareness for the brand and its portfolio of products. He will assist with sales and distribution efforts by determining key accounts and markets for Cooper Spirits, collaborate with the marketing team on new product launches, provide creative direction for labels and packaging, and spearhead programming for events like Tales of the Cocktail, Bar Convent Brooklyn, local cocktail weeks, Speed Rack competitions, and PDX cocktail week, among others.

In her role as Marketing Manager, Pope will be responsible for translating the company’s business objectives across its existing brands and future expressions into marketing strategies that drive revenue. She will also oversee Cooper Spirit’s National Tasting Program, assist with customer inquiries, execute national trade events and on premise programming, develop sales team training materials, and more.

“We’re excited to embark on this venture with Cooper Spirits,” said Chad Solomon and Christy Pope. “It was an honor to work with Robert on the creation of Slow & Low, and it feels as if that journey has come full circle by joining the Cooper Spirits team. There’s a lot of exciting things on the horizon for the company and we can’t wait to dive in.”

Given Solomon’s and Pope’s strong ties to the bar and restaurant industry, they felt their first initiative in their new roles should be to give back to the community. As such, they worked with Cooper Spirits’ marketing and sales team to lead industry aid activities in New Jersey, Nashville, Chicago, Florida, and Texas. Working with local accounts in each market, Cooper Spirits has been purchasing meals for out-of-work hospitality employees and their families to feed as many of those in-need as possible.

Further, they collaborated with the United States Bartenders Guild Tampa Bay for its “A Drink Pocalypse” virtual fundraising event. 12 bartenders/mixologists from the Bay area took over the organization’s Instagram Live to demonstrate do-it-yourself bartending techniques live from the Mandarin Heights in Seminole Heights, including how to smoke an Old Fashioned, recipes and ingredients for Barrel Aging cocktails, how to cut your own ice, and more.

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