Episode 33: Wild Turkey 101

Artwork for podcast Liquor and Liqueur Connoisseur

Episode 33 • 27th 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