The Legacy and Heritage of Pappy Van Winkle, reflected in our small business partnerships:
Our newest craft cocktail mixers in collaboration with Bittermilk, Good Folks Coffee and Midland Ghost
When we envisioned Pappy & Company as a way to share our great-grandfather, Pappy Van Winkle’s, legacy through a bourbon-inspired lifestyle collection, we knew from the start that it would require finding the right partners to work with. Fortunately, that hasn’t just been easier than we initially imagined; it has also been one of the greatest joys of running our small business.
In a bit of a “chicken or egg” scenario, we aren’t quite sure if we seek partners who share similar passions and dedication to quality, or that in seeking partners whose line of work so ideally complements ours that, naturally, they are equally as committed to craftsmanship, technique, and authenticity. Either way, it has led us to working with a variety of partners who are as singularly focused in their pursuit as bourbon has always demanded a strict adherence to a rigorous yet simple set of standards.
Our partnerships are so tantamount to our work that we consider ourselves equally as purveyors of bourbon-related goods as we are of partnerships. Our commitment to our mission is so steadfast that we attract and seek others who can imagine no other way of doing things. Fortunately, by virtue of that passion, their craft aligns so beautifully in terms of taste, flavor, style, or overall dedication to enjoyment that they become perfectly crafted partnerships. 
This has been the case not only for some of our most popular products but also for our partnerships that have evolved into lifelong friendships. Our entire Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged gourmet collection has relied not only on the signature flavor of the retired Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrels but also on our partners, who can bring that flavor to life in exciting—and most importantly—delicious ways.
Our list of Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Gourmet partners, from Bissell Maple Farm, to Bittermilk, to Midland Ghost and Olive and Sinclair, has fostered creative collaborations, joyful experiences, and, of course, a delectable line of gourmet goodies we not only share with all of you but enjoy in our own homes as well.
We have even found a way to expand on these partnerships, and not for the first time, by introducing new products that result from combining the efforts of two of our partners. There is, of course, something special about things that come in threes. Beyond the obvious connection, as triplets born on the 13th day of the third month, there is an underlying connection to the number three that is impossible to ignore. That could make us more aware of the rule of threes, or sensitive to the belief that things (good and bad) happen in threes. Whatever the genesis, we find true beauty in a collaboration that brings together three like-minded small businesses.
We’ve had a few forays into projects that require collaboration with multiple partners. Of course, our cigars are not only a multilayered object, but they also require a multi-step process that involves a multitude of partners. Learn more about the multiple step journey behind our Pappy Van Winkle Cigars.
One of our first triple collaborations was our Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Coffee Nib Brittle. The magic of these delicious morsels is pretty obvious, as in Coffee. Chocolate. Bourbon. Enough said, right? It’s hard to imagine a trifecta of flavors more suitable to enjoy together.
Learn more about the collaboration between Olive & Sinclair, Good Folks Coffee & Pappy & Company
We didn’t stop there, though, and introduced something for our spicy lovers with our Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Spicy Ghost Pepper Caramels, where creamy southern-made artisan caramel meets Georgia-grown and Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged ghost pepper mash for a confection with sweet heat and smooth creamy flavor. A delicious outcome of bringing together Olive & Sinclair's old-fashioned European technique and Midland Ghost's signature ghost peppers.
So you won’t be surprised to learn that our next round of triple collaborations involves some familiar names. While these products have been on our product development wish list since the very early days of our company, when we were crammed in Louise's basement with only our ideas and goals, they have been in production nearly as long. As our partners are, of course, as dedicated to the final outcome as we are.
At long last, we are thrilled to be introducing two new cocktail mixers to our line-up of effortless entertaining Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged cocktail essentials. Now, if you’ve been with us for a while, you know we wouldn’t make just any cocktail mixer. There is a reason that in our 11 years of running Pappy & Company, we have only brought two mixers to your shelves, as we are as painstakingly devoted to the product living up to not only the standard of quality we inherited from our great-grandfather, Pappy Van Winkle, but the standards that our partners uphold as well.
Our partners at Bittermilk, the ultimate crafters of fine cocktail mixers, are the only ones we would trust to concoct a pre-made mixer that we would want to not only put our name on, but also enjoy ourselves. In truth, striking the perfect balance of flavors is challenging. Pre-made mixers are often overly sweet or so full of unnecessary ingredients that they taste nothing like a freshly made craft cocktail.
Bourbon itself requires that no additional flavors or additives be present; it's simply a recipe of pure ingredients, a freshly charred oak barrel, and time. The resulting flavor is so pure, untouched, and naturally occurring that we subscribe to that notion for all ensuing products that are aged in our retired Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrels. Take, for example, one of our very first products: our Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Pure Maple Syrup, the result of a single ingredient and a single vessel. Yet it produces unbelievably nuanced and layered flavor.
While the ingredients, processes, and instructions for creating craft cocktails may seem simple, the flavor is anything but. The first product we developed in collaboration with Bittermilk, our Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Old Fashioned Mixer, remains the standard bearer for future mixers. While it stood alone on the top shelf for years, it finally met its partner in our Pappy Van Winkle Kentucky Sour Mixer, which we perfected over many years (yes, years).
A well-crafted, delicious, and balanced Old Fashioned Mixerwas on our list of absolute musts, yet it was a product we had to get right. With the expertise and dedication of Bittermilk, we certainly did. The nuanced flavor of high-quality ingredients, such as gentian root, cinchona bark, burnt sugar, spices, and a hint of orange peel, combined with the naturally infused flavors of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrel-aged charred oak, vanilla, and buttery caramel, delivers a distinct and delicious craft cocktail mixer.
Since the introduction of our original Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Cocktail Mixers, there has been a lingering awareness that two essential mixers were missing from the lineup. Behind the scenes, in meetings, brainstorming sessions, or simply at our team's Pappy Hours, we returned to this idea time and again. Two of our favorite craft cocktails were out there waiting patiently for the Pappy & Company and Bittermilk collaboration to bring them to life.
The key ingredient missing was a third collaborator who would contribute the particular and essential flavor to craft these missing mixers. Of course, those two mixers are so blatantly obvious and so tantalizingly necessary that we had to put them through our rigorous production pipeline before introducing them. At long last, from our collaborative Pappy & Company X Bittermilk craft cocktail collection to your home bar, we boldly and happily welcome our Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Espresso Elixir and our Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Bloody Mary Mixer.
Fortunately, we already had the perfect partners lined up to make them come to life. Introducing our Bloody Mary Mixwith Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Pepper Mash, made in partnership with Bittermilk and featuring our barrel-aged ghost pepper mash from Midland Ghost, and our Pappy Van Winkle Espresso Elixir, created in collaboration with Bittermilk, and made using our barrel-aged coffee from Good Folks Coffee.
Learn more about our Pappy & Company x Bittermilk x Good Folks Coffee Espresso Elixir
Learn more about our Pappy & Company x Bittermilk x Midland Ghost Bloody Mary Mix
