Buffalo Trace Unveils Inaugural Holiday Commercial During ‘Yellowstone’ Series Finale

Buffalo Trace Distillery unveiled its first holiday spot on the series finale of Yellowstone. (Photo: Buffalo Trace Distillery)

Buffalo Trace Distillery‘s inaugural holiday ad spot aired Sunday during the series finale of the hit TV show “Yellowstone.”

The commercial features VIP Visitor Lead and Bourbon Hall of Famer Freddie Johnson remembering his father and encouraging viewers to “slow down” and “take it easy this holiday season.”

Johnson is a third-generation employee at Buffalo Trace, and he was born in Paris, Kentucky, according to the celebrated bourbon brand. Johnson promised his father, who was an employee at Buffalo Trace, that he would work for the distillery so the family could say three generations worked at Buffalo Trace. He is considered one of the distillery’s most “highly sought-after tour guides,” which earned him the Bourbon Hall of Fame award in 2018.

On Thursday, Buffalo Trace unveiled the 2024 Van Winkle Collection, which included six whiskeys and a 20- and 23-year-old expression of Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon. Releases with such distinctively high age statements are often a rarity, and both extended-age bourbons made the 2024 release of the Van Winkle lineup a particularly important one.

Buffalo Trace and Van Winkle — somewhat charmingly — shared the original MSRPs with each release, which are all in the $100-$500 range. Those who are familiar with Van Winkle whiskeys understand that these expressions will fetch eye-watering prices upwards of $30,000 on the secondary market. Both brands additionally issued a warning to prospective consumers, encouraging them to be on the lookout for fakes and suggesting that they only purchase Van Winkle whiskeys from vetted retailers.

The Buffalo Trace holiday spot can be viewed below.