Taking a Shine to Bartenders - Ole Smoky Distillery

Taking a Shine to Bartenders

By Victoria CeCe OLE SMOKY DISTILLERY DEVELOPS INNOVATIVE WAYS TO CELEBRATE MOONSHINE

The Prohibition days may be long gone, but moonshine isn’t going anywhere. And there’s no complaining about that.

You can’t talk about the history of American spirits without moonshine. The spirit symbolizes the American South’s incredible history, one that surely pre-dates Prohibition.

Moonshine is as raw and real as this history, an unaged spirit that tastes great because tradition is behind it. With National Moonshine Day just around the corner on June 2nd, there’s no better way to celebrate this spirit’s legacy than with America’s most popular moonshine distillery—Ole Smoky.

Tennessee’s first legal moonshine distillery, Ole Smoky, is an ode to the great paws and maws who started a moonshine legacy of their own. “When Tennessee state law changed to allow the distillation of spirits, we saw an opportunity to showcase the art of superior mountain-made moonshine,” says Stephanie Moraine, Director of Marketing at Ole Smoky. “We started with products crafted from a century-old recipe.”

A perfect combination of tradition and fun, Ole Smoky moonshine comes in a classic mason jar as if you smuggled it yourself. There are tons of flavors to explore, making moonshine drinking quite the adventure. “We now offer more than 25 moonshine flavors—like the traditional Original Corn Moonshine, to more creative flavors like Apple Pie and Blackberry,” adds Moraine.

Ole Smoky celebrates National Moonshine Day with more than just its creative flavors. Through a 360-degree marketing campaign, the distillery has one goal—to share how important (and delicious) moonshine is. “Moonshine is a spirit with rich American history, and National Moonshine Day is a way for Ole Smoky to celebrate that legacy and share it with the world. It’s time we brought this holiday to life so others can enjoy it as well!” says Moraine. Ole Smoky is kicking off this campaign strong (and we aren’t talking about the moonshine). The marketing team has created several innovative channels to get folks excited. From a curated playlist to a sweepstakes giveaway where someone will win a VIP trip to Tennessee, Ole Smoky has found creative ways of boosting moonshine’s recognition as a mainstream spirit.

And one way to fall in love with moonshine is by showing how it easily shines behind the bar. With bartenders in mind, Ole Smoky introduced its one-liter bottles for all its top-selling, on-premise moonshine flavors for added functionality and precision pours. Plus, its products are versatile, mixable, and easy to use. “The beauty of our products is that they taste so great on their own making them even easier to use in cocktails,” mentions Mason Engstrom, Ole Smoky’s Vice President of On-Premise sales.

“These are unique products and flavors that pique the interest of bartenders and consumers. You can create some interesting cocktails with layers of flavor.”

When pairing them with cocktails, Ole Smoky Moonshine brings all the classic kick-in-the-mouth flavors. “You aren’t trying to mask the flavor,” comments Engstrom. “You are just coming up with ways to show it off!”

A perfect combination of tradition and fun, Ole Smoky moonshine comes in a classic mason jar as if you smuggled it yourself. There are tons of flavors to explore, making moonshine drinking quite the adventure.

To celebrate National Moonshine Day on June 2nd with Ole Smoky Distillery, please visit olesmoky.com/moonshineday.

NATIONAL MOONSHINE DAY SIGNATURE RECIPE Blackberry Moonshiner

INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Ole Smoky Blackberry Moonshine 3 oz. lemonade Mint Fresh lemon slice and blackberries (for garnish)

PREPARATION

Pour moonshine and lemonade into a shaker over ice, and mint, and shake. Garnish with lemon slice and blackberries (optional). Shine Responsibly®