Rare whiskey auction raises over $450,000 for charity
A charity auction celebrating 100 seasons of the Chicago Blackhawks, which offered rare whiskeys and a ‘once in a lifetime’ tasting experience, has raised more than US$450,000.
The Blackhawks’ centennial auction raised a total of US$392,625 in hammer value, and US$451,518 including buyers’ premium.
Celebrating the National Hockey League (NHL) team’s 100th season, the auction took place for one week on Unicorn Auctions and closed on 18 October, with proceeds donated to the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation.
The final amount nearly tripled the foundation’s previous fundraising record of US$188,587 from a combined live and silent auction.
Wirtz, chairman of the Chicago Blackhawks, said, “The generosity from this auction will have an immediate and lasting impact. These funds help advance our US$3 million centennial commitment – ensuring every young person across Chicago has the chance to experience the game through floor hockey, learn‑to‑skate, and community programs that make the sport more accessible and inclusive for all.”
The auction’s most expensive lot – ‘a once-in-a-lifetime tasting experience’ with Wirtz and Bourbon maker Van Winkle – sold for US$177,800.
The exclusive experience offered six guests the opportunity to sample Very Very Old Fitzgerald Blackhawk 18-Year (121 proof), pre-Prohibition bottles, and vintage Van Winkle expressions.
The Blackhawk 18-Year bottle came directly from the Wirtz Family Archive. The whiskey was distilled in 1969 at Stitzel‑Weller using a wheated mashbill and bottled exclusively for the Wirtz family. The bottling has never been traded, sold, or shipped, and it has never been released outside the family’s possession before.
At the auction, the rare bottling was also sold as a single bottle lot, with the hammer price of US$85,200.
Other highlights included the first-ever Brook Hill 18-Year barrel pick with Pablo Moix from Rare Character, which sold for US$77,400, and the complete 2025 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection sold for US$8,050.
Phil Mikhaylov, CEO and co‑founder of Unicorn Auctions, commented: “The partnership between Unicorn Auctions and the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation was a truly special collaboration to mark a century of Blackhawks history.
“Our goal was to create an auction that celebrated both legacy and community impact. Being able to use the Unicorn platform to support such a great cause is an amazing feeling, and I’m proud that in just three months we’ve helped raise over US$1 million for charity on Unicorn.”
Since its establishment in 1993, the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation has raised over US$40 million for local causes throughout Illinois, including youth hockey, after-school programmes, mental health initiatives, and food security efforts.
Earlier this year, the Unicorn raised US$420,000 through its digital Bourbon Bonanza Charity Auction.
In March, the auction house sold a one-off bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle’ Van Winkle Selection’ Kentucky Bourbon Festival Master Distiller’s Auction 2007 for US$125,000.
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