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Episode 33: Wild Turkey 101
Episode 3327th November 2020 • Liquor and Liqueur Connoisseur • Matt Birchard
00:00:00 00:17:50

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Episode 33 features Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. A standard bearer of American bourbon bottled at 50.5% ABV, or 101 proof. It retails for about $27 for a 750ml bottle.

Enjoy this episode with some Wild Turkey!

Wild Turkey's official website: https://wildturkeybourbon.com/

Brief Historical Timeline:

  • 1855 - Companies that will become Austin Nichols are formed
  • 1860s - The Ripy family is distilling whiskey near the present day site of the Wild Turkey distillery
  • 1934 - Austin Nichols gets into the wine and spirits business
  • 1940 - A sales executive goes on a wild turkey hunt and takes some bourbon with him
  • 1942 - Wild Turkey as a brand is launched
  • 1971 - Austin Nichols buys the distillery run by the Ripy family
  • 1980 - Wild Turkey is sold to Pernod Ricard
  • 2009 - Campari Group buys Wild Turkey
  • 2011 - New distillery opens
  • 2016 - Actor Matthew McConaughey becomes the brand's creative director and spokesman

Key Cocktails:

Wild Turkey goes great in any classic bourbon or whiskey cocktail, it's also well known to "improve the flavor of ice!"

Here's the original cocktail, Wild Turkey's take on the Old Fashioned:

Wild Turkey Old Fashioned:

2 oz Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

1/4 oz simple syrup

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Stir ingredients together. Pour over ice into a rocks or Old Fashioned glass and garnish with an orange peel.

References:

Wikipedia article on Wild Turkey

Wikipedia article on alcohol proof

Rare Bird 101 website timeline of Wild Turkey

Wild Turkey Bourbon Short Film with Matthew McConaughey

YouTube interview with Jimmy Russell

YouTube interview with Jimmy and Eddie Russell

PBS interview via YouTube with Jimmy Russell

Contact Information:

Official show website is: www.liquorandliqueurconnoisseur.com

Join my mailing list: http://eepurl.com/hfyhHf

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liquorandliqueurconnoisseur

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LiquorandLiqueurConnoisseur/

Twitter: @LLConnoisseur

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