Welcome to our Happy Hour Question & Answer series, where we ask questions to interesting people in the alcohol world.
This week’s spotlight is on Chicken Cock Whiskey as we talk with their National Brand Ambassador Will Woodington. Chicken Cock Whiskey’s name dates back to the 1830s when founder James A. Miller started making whiskey in Bourbon Co., Kentucky. Chicken Cock hit peak prestige when it was served as the house whiskey at the Cotton Club in Harlem, one of Prohibition’s most legendary speakeasies. In 2012, Matti Anttila rediscovered the brand and set out to resurrect it to its Prohibition-era glory. Today, Chicken Cock Whiskey’s Master Distiller Gregg Snyder oversees all parts of the whiskey-making process from bark to barrel, bourbon to bottle, and the whiskey is distilled at Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Collaborative Distilling Program facility. The brand currently has two flagship products, Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Kentucky Straight Rye, as well as a number of creative limited-edition releases, like the recently launched Double Oak Whiskey and Chanticleer.
Hops & Spirits: Obviously, you enjoy bourbon, so how did you get into the business?
Will Woodington: It became my goal to get into the whiskey industry pretty early on after identifying my passion for the spirit. Prior to joining Grain & Barrel, I grew my own whiskey-centric social media page and also conducted interviews with distillery owners and master distillers with a group I was in called The Bourbon Alliance. Additionally, I worked as a state Brand Ambassador for Bardstown Bourbon Company in Michigan for about a year. Each of these touch points developed my whiskey and industry education massively, which prepared me greatly for the role of National Brand Ambassador for Grain & Barrel Spirits.
HS: What drew you to Chicken Cock Whiskey/Grain & Barrel Spirits?
WW: Getting to travel the country to educate people on a great brand like Chicken Cock Whiskey was an easy thing for me to say yes to, and was honestly the kind of position I was chasing. The brand has a tremendously rich history, which allows me to be able to speak about a wide range of whiskey-related topics, and the whiskey itself is fantastic! Grain & Barrel as a whole was also very appealing to me as a smaller operation with large goals, a great team, and a wide variety of products!
HS: What’s it like working with a brand that has so much history?
WW: For someone like me who has loved history from a young age, it’s both a tremendous honor and privilege to be the steward of a brand that is almost 170 years old. From its early days in bourbon pioneering in Kentucky, to its Pure Canadian Rye days during prohibition, to it rising from the ashes in the 21st century, I couldn’t have asked for a brand with a more rich history to share. I have become so enveloped in its history that I have even acquired numerous old relics of Chicken Cock Whiskey’s historic past that I have at my home, which allow me to tell its history utilizing physical pieces from its past. This includes old bills of sale calling out the brand from Montana in 1873 and 1874, an old (and still sealed) bottle of medicinal Chicken Cock Whiskey from 1933, and many other great relics!
HS: On the flip side, while it has history, the incarnation is still relatively new?
WW: While we have almost 170 years of history to tell, the brand is indeed relatively new to many people out there in today’s age. This is due to the brand being lost from approximately 1950 until its revival in 2012. Once people find out how truly historic the brand is, and then of course taste our delicious product, they become immediate fans and Chicken Cock Whiskey is put back in its rightful place as some of the highest-quality whiskey in the 21st century market.
HS: Can you talk about what a Brand Ambassador does?
WW: As a Brand Ambassador, I tend to wear many hats! The focal point of my role is to educate consumers, retailers, and distributors alike on Chicken Cock’s rich history and Grain & Barrel’s whiskey portfolio. I do this by representing the brand at various regional and national events, performing podcast and other media interviews, and traveling to various markets to accompany our sales and distribution teams at meetings with retailers, bars and restaurants. I also work internally with our great marketing and sales teams to assist with campaigns for each of our products.
HS: How important, and how difficult is it, for brands to enter new markets? And what do they typically need?
WW: With the whiskey category continuing to surge, it’s more vital than ever for brands to have a great presence and representation in as many markets as possible. While some markets can be tougher than others to get into, there are many key factors that come into play when it comes to having success.
Proper distribution and representation is essential, as we can’t be everywhere all the time, so having great relationships with our distribution partners in each market is key to that they are getting our products in front of key retailers, bars, and restaurants every day.
Another would be product placement. While ideally your product is represented everywhere, having it in the most impactful spaces is the most important factor for premium spirit brands. If you sell a premium spirit, it might not make much sense to have it at a dive bar for instance. However, having it in places like high-end whiskey bars, popular restaurants, and large-volume whiskey retailers will drive far more volume, make larger impacts in the long run, and ensure it’s represented well.
One of the other key factors would be product activations. Ensuring we are participating in high-attendance events for our brands makes sure that we are connecting with consumers and introducing (or re-introducing) them to the brand over the course of a given year and continuing to make it relevant to consumers.
HS: Why are tastings at liquor stores so important? And same with other events?
WW: Liquor store tastings are a very crucial piece to getting in front of consumers when it comes to the beverage industry. The best thing about those settings is that we are able to sample consumers in the same place where they can then purchase our products. With so many brands in the market, a “try before you buy” approach is important to many consumers shopping for new brands they may not have sampled before. When it comes to other regional/national events, these are also just as crucial. Whether it be a local intimate bourbon pairing dinner, to something like the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, connecting with key folks out there and educating them on our brand and products is incredibly impactful and important to keeping the brand relevant and exciting.
HS: Why do brands work with mixologists and bartenders so much?
WW: I have always admired the incredibly talented mixologists and bartenders we have across the country. Getting them inspired by our brand, and then having them experiment with our spirits to create delicious cocktails and/or place us on their whiskey menu is huge. Not only do we then have great placements in some of the best and most popular places, but these people behind the bar become stewards of the brand. Cocktail placement drives both volume and brand awareness, and we also have to keep in mind that not everyone wants to drink whiskey neat. Having a mixologist or bartender create a cocktail with our spirits can also drive consumers to recreate their favorite cocktail at home using our products in really creative ways.
HS: So what expressions of Chicken Cock Whiskey can folks find? And expect from those pours?
WW: We currently have 7 different expressions under the Chicken Cock label. This includes our Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Kentucky Straight Rye, our all new Double Oak 8 Year Kentucky Whiskey, Island Rooster Rum Barrel Rye, Chanticleer Cognac Finish Bourbon, Cotton Club 20 Year Canadian Rye, and our Private Cask program. Each expression tastes different than the next, which we are very proud of. From our quintessential Kentucky bourbon and rye, to special and limited secondary cask-finished whiskey, to high proof single barrels, each bold and delicious whiskey we offer has its own unique characteristics and pays proper tribute to Chicken Cock’s historic past as “The Famous Old Brand” and its prominence as a leader in quality whiskey offerings.
HS: Where can folks find Chicken Cock Whiskey?
WW: Our products are available in numerous states across the country – from independent retailers to chain outlets. We are also available in some fantastic bars and restaurants, particularly throughout the Southeast. Our website (www.chickencockwhiskey.com) allows you to view local retailers in your market where you can pick up a bottle, and if you live in a state that offers shipping we also distribute on our website as well as with other online retailers!
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