Republic National Distributing Co. (RNDC) will distribute Spiritless distilled non-alcoholic spirits, including its inaugural Kentucky 74, in all territories within its nationwide footprint.
CEO Lauren Chitwood, Chief Relationship Officer Abbey Ferguson, and COO Lexie Larsen founded Spiritless in 2019 after noticing a gap in the beverage market for cocktail lovers who want to enjoy a night out (or in) with less alcohol. Their debut product, Kentucky 74, boasts an advanced, innovative formulation process that starts by blending their own high-proof, intensely flavored, rapidly aged spirit before undergoing distillation in a unique method which removes all but 0.5% or less of the alcohol (the same ABV as kombucha).
A gold medal winner in the “Best Non-Alcoholic Spirit” category at the 2021 LA Spirits Awards and featured as a recommended product on The Today Show in January 2022, Kentucky 74 delivers a high-quality, smooth finish and is underpinned by notes of caramel, vanilla, and oak to allow consumers to enjoy their favorite cocktail completely Spiritless, or with a lower ABV by going Halfsies™ with bourbon.
“We’re so thankful for the power of the RNDC network and their team that both supports our mission and also sees the incredible white space in the spirits’ business for Spiritless,” said Chitwood. “The non-alcoholic movement is global – the opportunities are endless and we’re just at the tip of the iceberg.”
“The low- and no-alcohol industry is booming, and that growth isn’t slowing down any time soon,” said RNDC Chief Executive Officer Tom Cole. “We’re proud to be on the forefront of this movement and join Spiritless – a women-owned brand we believe in wholeheartedly – in making drinking culture more inclusive.”
RNDC is committed to pioneering new paths for women in the beverage alcohol industry. The company has launched talent programs such as the RNDC Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF), wherein women are provided exceptional professional development and networking opportunities to support continued career advancement.
While the Spiritless team launched Kentucky 74 as their first product, they to scale their business to provide a comprehensive line of high-quality Spiritless solutions to the beverage world.