Castle & Key announces the limited release of The Untold Story of Kentucky Whiskey, Chapter 1 in partnership with The Kentucky Black Bourbon Guild (KBBG). The Untold Story of Kentucky Whiskey was a project created to share the history of African Americans’ contributions to the creation of bourbon whiskey.
Castle & Key said it will release annual “chapters” of The Untold Story as it continues to promote productive conversations around racism and equality. Chapter 1 was written by KBBG historian and Kentucky State University professor, Dr. Erin Wiggins Gilliam.
In addition to the partnership with the KBBG, packaging design was donated by Stranger & Stranger, and printed custom labels were donated by Eurostampa. One hundred percent of the new blended whiskey sales will support The Castle & Key Scholarship Fund, a scholarship created to promote diversity and inclusion within the distillery industry.
The Castle & Key Scholarship Fund was established at Blue Grass Community Foundation. The scholarship will provide a student of color who has an interest in working in the distillery industry a $5,000 reward that is renewable for one additional year of study. More information about the scholarship and eligibility requirements can be found on the Blue Grass Community Foundation website this coming December. Applications for the 2022-2023 academic year will be available in January 2022.
“When I founded this organization, the vision was to pay homage to those who sacrificed so much to make and grow a now $8.6B industry that is coined America’s Native Spirit,” said Rob Beatty, founder/president, KBBG. “To encourage adult scholars who look like me to not only understand our history within this industry but to take advantage of the many workforces and entrepreneurial opportunities awaiting. To create a safe place for African Americans to learn bourbon without the fear of being judged. I am happy that — through building great relationships with inclusive distilleries such as Castle & Key — we’ve hit a milestone in accomplishing our mission.”