The 'overnight success' that is Blue Run Spirits has a founding team of whiskey industry outsiders including a Nike designer, a Facebook veteran, a political adviser, and a philanthropist – applying a very fresh take on the bourbon industry to shake things up a bit.

Change is the only constant in the drinks scene, and Molson Coors – owner of Coors Light and Miller Lite beers is stepping up its game. Molson Coors is diving further into the spirits lane by acquiring the Kentucky-based cult whiskey producer, Blue Run Spirits - signalling a serious intention to become a more comprehensive beverage company.

But let’s rewind for a second – who exactly are the people behind Blue Run Spirits?

As its name seems to suggest, Blue Run Spirits is the whiskey industry's answer to 'sneakerheads' and the high-end sneaker industry. It was founded in 2020. In the brief span of less than 3 years, it has garnered great interest and competition accolades for its coveted small-batch releases and carved out a niche at the luxury end of the American whiskey scene. Many bourbon makers took generations to build this level of brand equity, in contrast.

Interestingly, this 'overnight success' was built by a founding team of whiskey industry outsiders including a talented Nike designer, a sharp Facebook veteran, a political adviser, and a philanthropist (Devon McKinney, Tim Sparapani, Mike Montgomery, and Jesse McKnight respectively). Their expertise enabled them to apply a very fresh take on the bourbon industry and shake things up a little bit.

Drawing inspiration from the booming sneaker industry, they introduced a strategy reminiscent of those heart-pounding, line-standing, ultra-limited Nikes or Adidas sneaker releases. All this is thanks to Devon McKinney who designed several Nike’s iconic Air Force One sneakers, and wanted to sprinkle a little of that sneaker magic into the whiskey world.

The strategy is to 'sneakerize' the whiskey industry, with Blue Run Spirits' marketers being masters of creating buzz and excitement over their products.

So, rather than simply working on several core releases that are available all-year-round, Blue Run's approach is to focus on limited quarterly releases, available for a limited time only and with a big emphasis on uniqueness. Sure enough, people ate it up. With every bottle drop, there's a palpable buzz, a scramble, and then poof – this expression is gone forever, making you even more the next.

Packaging plays a huge role as well. Each bottle features a vibrant, unmissable butterfly logo that that changes colour with every new release, keeping folks on their toes.

This approach was nowhere clearer than in their release of their blac butterfly label 13.5-year-old Single Barrel Bourbon which was priced at a cool $229, and sold out online within the jaw-dropping matter of seconds.  The team knew that it had created a brand that drinkers would queue in line for and proudly show off to their friends.

Actively building bridges with their customers, CEO Montgomery went above and beyond, writing over 15,000 handwritten notes for online purchases. They’ve made sure to keep the chat alive on social media, responding directly to all their fan messages. 

And who's ensuring the liquid within lives up to the hype? That’d be the legendary Jim Rutledge of Four Roses fame, who would act as their liquid advisor. With over 50 years in the game including being a Master Distiller at Four Roses, he's making sure what's inside the bottle is as noteworthy as the strategy behind it. 

Back to the purchase news at hand. Molson Coors has spread its wings further and grabbed Blue Run Spirits. It's worth noting that Blue Run is their third whiskey brand, first rodeos being the Five Trail Blended Whiskey launched in 2021 and Barmen 1873 Bourbon in 2022. 

The purchase price tag is undisclosed. What we do know is that Blue Run’s founding gang is sticking around, with CEO Mike Montgomery snagging the title of Molson Coors’ vice president of Coors Spirits Co.

If you're thinking, "why whiskey?, here's some food for thought. Despite inflation and the ups and downs of the economy, sales of American whiskeys and bourbons have continued to steadily grow the past couple of years – particularly in the "high end premium" category. Last year, American whiskey sales jumped a staggering 10.5%, raking in over $5 billion according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the US. Consumers are trading their cheap alcohols for spirits that embody authenticity, a good story and sheer quality.

So, here's to the evolving world of beverages. Where there's growth opportunity, one thing's for sure – there'll always be new entrants keeping things interesting. Cheers to that!

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team