Food & Beverage

How a 'slow-sip' of Maker's can make life better for restaurant workers

Photo: iStock

November 25, 2020

Sitting back with some good ol' Kentucky sippin' whiskey may not seem like a plausible way to help much of anyone but yourself, but Kentucky bourbon maker, Maker's Mark, has changed that. The distillery partnered with Louisville, Kentucky-based Chef Ed Lee to release the first-of-its-kind limited edition 107.7-proof CommUNITY Batch bourbon to support the restaurant industry.

Proceeds from the sale of the 7,500 bottles of the bourbon go to support Chef Lee's LEE Initiative, which benefits restaurant and bar workers in need during the pandemic, a news release said. The bourbon was produced with the contributions from 37 restaurants, bars and retail partners, which each have Maker's Mark Private Selection blends. But for this effort, all the parties agreed to let the distillery use their recipes for the bourbon.

The result is what Maker's Mark said is a one-of-a-kind whiskey with a nose of caramel and almond, dark fruit, cherry, chocolate and spice, with cured tobacco, dried fruit and baking spice on the palate.

"A lot of folks we partner with, such as Keeneland and the Silver Dollar in Louisville, share our community values," Jane Bowie, Maker's Mark director of innovation, said in the release.

Bowie said Maker's Mark ended up with 34 barrels (a few of the Private Select partners use the same recipe) blended together. After resting in the barrels for a few weeks, the whiskey was vatted so the flavors could marry together, she said.

"The liquid's delicious," Bowie said. "And it's for charity, so you can feel good that all of that money will go to feed families. How often do you go buy a rare whiskey and it does that much good?"

The bourbon is available via The LEEInitiative.org with a suggested minimum contribution for a bottle of $70. Virtual events are also being held nationally around the release, with the first on Dec. 1, known as #GivingTuesday. Anyone over 21 who buys a bottle will be invited to join a virtual tasting, hosted by Lee and Bowie.

For every attendee, Maker's Mark will donate a meal through the initiative, which has provided more than 500,000 meals through relief kitchens nationwide.

"We've been honored to be able to help so many of our friends in the bar and restaurant industry over the past few months through our work with The LEE Initiative," said Rob Samuels, chief distillery officer of Maker's Mark, in the release. "When we asked our retail partners across the country if they'd be willing to donate their prized Private Selection recipes for this additional fundraising effort, we were blown away at the response. Seeing the community come together in this way has not only produced an exceptional bourbon, but a path towards providing the continued support that we're fully committed to."

They hope to raise at least $500,000 with the Maker's Mark CommUNITY Batch, money that will be needed now more than ever with restaurants and bars closing nationally. The LEE Initiative will also hire 50 out-of-work who will use the racetrack kitchen to prepare 8,000 boxed meals a week for Jefferson County Public School system families in need, in the Louisville, Kentucky metro area.

"We love working with The LEE Initiative to take the stigma out of getting a free meal and making sure families have a high-quality chef-prepared meal," said Churchill Downs Racetrack executive chef David Danielson, in a news release. "We are very pleased with the success of the program so far. It has reignited our team, and we work to show the virtue of leadership with hospitality. While there is still much hard work to do and many problems to solve, nothing is possible without a seat at the table for all. Feeding people is in our hearts, and during this difficult time, it is uplifting to know we can help those in our community who are in need."