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Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder’s Bourbon hits 17 states

The Vampire Diaries stars Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley have expanded the US availability of Brother’s Bond Bourbon after achieving the ‘most successful pre-sale launch’ in the history of Reserve Bar.

 Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder
L-r: Actors Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder teamed up to launch a Bourbon

Somerhalder and Wesley became the latest celebrities to move into spirits when they launched Brother’s Bond Bourbon in 2020.

The 40% ABV expression is a four-grain, high-rye Bourbon comprised of 65% corn, 22% rye and a percentage of wheat and barley that has not been disclosed. It is aged for a minimum of four years in virgin American oak barrels.

The name of the brand is a nod to the actors’ former roles in supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries, where they played brothers, as well as their shared love of Bourbon and the ‘brotherhood they have formed over the years’.

“Our characters bonded on-screen over Bourbon and so it made sense that we would do the same off-camera,” the duo said. “Never could we have imagined that our creation would come this far and help establish new bonds as well as strengthen old ones. We are so proud of the success of our initial release and are excited to say that this is just the beginning.”

The Bourbon is now available for sale online, in national and regional chains, and independent stores across 17 US states including: Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.

On online platform Reserve Bar, the brand secured the highest velocity of sales in a 24-hour period, following pre-sales in autumn 2020 and January 2021.

According to the brand, there are early indications that it could become the fastest-selling super-premium Bourbon in the US. In the first 60 days of its launch, more than 40,000 cases have been shipped.

“The positive consumer response has exceeded our expectations,” said Vincent Hanna, CEO of Brother’s Bond. “Everywhere we go people are lining up to buy a bottle, two or three and this is magical. When you see your strategy come to life in such an authentic way, it really gives our whole team the drive to know we are doing something very special.”

Furthermore, the brand has more than 1.4 million followers on its official Instagram page (@brothersbondbourbon).

Brother’s Bond Bourbon features aromas of baked banana bread, jammy ripe fruit with walnuts and orange honey, and offers notes of ‘rich dried fruit and honey sweetness accompanied by hints of black tea and warm rye spice’ on the palate. It is priced at US$39.99 per 750ml.

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