‘Scooby-Doo’ Actor Matthew Lillard Joins Forces With Polarizing Bourbon Brand to Launch a Whiskey Inspired By Dungeons And Dragons in Unlikely Collaboration

Matthew Lillard has joined forces with Blue Run Spirits and screenwriter Justin Ware to launch Quest’s End Whiskey (Photo: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Matthew Lillard, an actor known for roles such as Shaggy in the live-action “Scooby-Doo” movies, joined forces with Blue Run Spirits and screenwriter Justin Ware to launch a whiskey inspired by… Dungeons and Dragons? Zoinks, indeed.

The news of Quest’s End, the inaugural whiskey from Lillard’s brand, Find Familiar Spirits, was reported on by The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday.

The whiskey is available in limited quantities, and the first four bottles in the series will be named after Dungeons and Dragons characters. In an exclusive with The Hollywood Reporter, Lillard said Quest’s End is set to launch with a straight bourbon whiskey inspired by the Paladin, a character subtype in D&D. The spirit is an homage to Sarin of the Pit, “who was born in the fighting pits, a Paladin of the god of life, Inxa,” according to Lillard.

The tasting notes on the bottle of this Paladin-inspired whiskey are described as having “an undercurrent of spice to reflect her fighting spirit.”

Bottled at 100 proof, Quest’s End Paladin is a blend of straight bourbon whiskeys from Kentucky and Indiana.

Lillard and Ware joined forces with Blue Run co-founder Tim Sparapani to bring their vision to life.

The team ultimately ended up tapping Ale Ochoa, a whiskey scientist at Firestone and Robertson Distilling Co. She was given the creative freedom to create flavor profiles that captured the essence of each D&D character.

“Each one of the bottles has a map on the back,” Lillard said in reference to the artwork that was created by sci-fi illustrator Tyler Jacobson. “It has hit points on the side, so as you drink down the hit points, you get stronger! One of the things we wanted to create is something very bespoke, so the bottle’s beautiful. You’re getting a story; an entire unboxing experience.”

Quest’s End Paladin Bourbon is pictured. Notice the “hit points” on the side of the bottle. (Image: Find Familiar Spirits)

Lillard claimed he and Ware both chose to start Quest’s End with Paladin as its first expression because they are both artists. The goal behind the spirit’s brand was to do something that gave them the “ability to control [their] own destiny.” Lillard cites a Paladin being a crusader with a strong vision as part of the reasoning behind the choice.

The two creatives seem like a natural fit alongside the subversive newcomer bourbon brand, Blue Run Spirits. Blue Run honors tradition, according to the brand, yet is no stranger to doing things differently. With its flashy bottles and eyebrow-raising price tags, Blue Run has become quite polarizing among whiskey fans. Here at Whiskey Raiders, however, we tend to trend pro-Blue Run. Good whiskey is good whiskey, after all.

Blue Run had some explosive news of its own earlier this month when it was announced the brand was acquired by Molson Coors after shaking things up in the industry for three years.

Quest’s End will be ready to hit D&D tables everywhere in a couple of months. The first expression is available for purchase in early October, according to a countdown clock featured on the brand’s website.

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