New Riff Distilling Commemorates 10th Anniversary With New Whiskey, Limited-Edition Beer and Celebratory Sweepstakes

(Photo: New Riff Distilling)

Kentucky-based New Riff Distilling is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a suite of unexpected releases and sweepstakes giving back to its community.

The star of the show is New Riff Headliner, a blended whiskey made up of 45% 10-year-old bourbon, 20% 9-year-old bourbon, 30% 9-year-old rye and 5% 7-year-old single malt. Bottled at a barrel-proof 57.3% ABV, the psychedelic concert poster-inspired release is said to highlight flavors of rye spice and dark fruit.

Those hoping to snatch up one of the 700 bottles can enter a lottery on the distiller’s beginning July 7. While an entry ticket costs only $5, the final product will run you $250, with 50% of the proceeds going toward local charities including Brighton Center, Green Umbrella and Horizon Community Funds.

“Since our founding in 2014, we’ve focused on making exceptional, innovative whiskey while supporting our beloved Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati community,” New Riff Distilling President Mollie Lewis said in a news release. “This inaugural Headliner release is like bringing all your favorite artists together into one band. With proceeds from each bottle going to local charitable organizations, this whiskey is sure to earn a well-deserved encore.”

For those in search of something lighter and hoppier, the brand has teamed up with Cincinnati’s HighGrain Brewing to release a beer named “Aqui Brew.” Made with New Riff’s corn alongside water sourced from beneath the distillery, the pilsner has set up shop at bars and retailers in the area.

Commemorating the occasion, New Riff will also host some events and offers from July 11 to July 18, including live music, gift shop discounts, limited-edition merchandise and surprise bottlings from the brand’s past. If you happen to be in Kentucky and want to check out the festivities, learn more on the New Riff website.

Brought to market in 2014 by former English teacher Ken Lewis, New Riff has since unveiled a steady stream of inventive whiskey releases with a heavy focus on bourbon and rye. Though Lewis left the brand last year, the legacy lives on through recently appointed master distiller Brian Sprance. Of the expressions we’ve had a chance to try, we’ve been particularly impressed by its 6-year Malted Rye and Balboa Rye as well as its stellar Wild Bourbon Barreled Gin.

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