WORKING TOGETHER
B.R. Distilling bourbon barrels get new life
Bourbon barrels are stacked ceiling high in the B.R. Distilling Co. distillery. Most are filled with whiskey, but what happens to the barrels once the bourbon is bottled? ● The team at B.R. Distilling (the Memphis distillery known for its award-winning Blue Note and Riverset Rye whiskeys) decided to give the barrels a second life. ● The distillery partnered with several different Memphis small businesses to create bourbon barrel-aged products. From coffee and beer to honey and ice cream, each food or beverage created is a one-of-a-kind Memphis original. ● “We have a strong and proud food and beverage community in Memphis. By working together on collaborative initiatives, we have been able to grow our brand’s awareness in an authentic and organic way,” said Mccauley Williams, president and CEO of B.R. Distilling. “We all know that we are stronger together than alone. Memphis needs more Memphians working together.”
It’s been a win-win situation for the distillery and its new partners as many of the products created have become top-sellers for these small businesses.
Vice & Virtue Coffee owner Tim Perkins reached out to B.R. Distilling when they wanted to try to create a barrelaged coffee. “I wanted to use a highquality specialty coffee and partner with a high-quality bourbon to see what the end results were,” said Perkins of his decision to use Blue Note Bourbon barrels.
Vice & Virtue’s barrel-aged bourbon coffee was released in late 2019. Since then, it has become one of the company’s signature products. It’s sold both as a bag of beans to brew at home and in Vice & Virtue’s Downtown coffee shop in coffee drinks such as a Bourbon Mocha.
Coffee isn’t the only thing being aged in Blue Note barrels — so is honey.
Roger Hunter’s Pure Memphis Honey is known for its raw and unfiltered honey, much of which is bottled as singlebatch honey based on its source.
“I am always exploring new things and when I saw a bourbon barrel honey, I wanted to give it a try,” said Hunter. His first batch of honey aged at the distillery for more than four months. The end result is a honey with the full-bodied notes of caramel, oak, vanilla and spice of the 9-year-old bourbon.
Grind City Brewing Company is a neighbor of B.R. Distilling. Hopper Seely, Grind City Brewing president, decided to try barrel-aging his beers after the team at B.R. Distilling came for a tour and mentioned having used barrels they could share.
Seely said they decided to age their Tiger Tail craft malt liquor in the barrels because bourbon and malt liquor have similar grain bills. Grind City aged Tiger Tail in both Blue Note and Riverset Rye barrels. “There is a subtle difference between the two,” he explained. Both options are available on tap at the brewery taproom. A barrel-aged imperial stout will be coming out soon.
The collaborations are not limited just to barrels.
Blue Note’s Juke Joint Whiskey will soon be featured in a dessert. Hugh Balthrop of Sweet Magnolia Gelato Company has made two new gelato flavors with this whiskey: Whiskey & Pecans and Bourbon Caramel.
“You know that Sweet Magnolia was founded in Clarksdale, Mississippi — the home of the juke joint. I just had to use that one,” said Balthrop, adding that this collaboration is all about having a good relationship.
B.R. Distilling is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with and help other small businesses in Memphis.
“The ability to use the barrel after its bourbon life is a gift that keeps on giving,” said Nora Boone, B.R. Distilling’s marketing director.
Award-winning B.R. Distilling currently has five whiskey offerings under the Blue Note and Riverset Rye labels. The company was founded in 2018 and is currently distributed in 14 states.