Pappy Alerts
August 26, 2024
Pappy Raffle - Fall 2024
For a $100 chance, you can have your bourbon and drink it too, or display it on a shelf and never drink it, your choice! The flight includes one bottle of each: Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year, Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year, Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year, Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year, Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year. Julian Van Winkle III signed each bottle in our Raffle, adding value to this year’s collection.
All proceeds benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana.
Ticket sales will open at 9 am EDT on Monday, August 5, and close at 10:00 am EDT on Wednesday, October 2, or when tickets are sold-out, whichever occurs first. A maximum of 1,984 tickets will be sold. We’ve chosen to sell 1,984 tickets to commemorate the year 1984, when Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana first opened our doors to families traveling to Louisville for medical care for their children.
The Raffle Drawing shall occur on Wednesday, October 2 at 11:00 am EDT at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana, located at 550 S. First Street in Louisville. You need not be present to win. Winner will be notified within seven days of the drawing. Prize cannot be redeemed for cash. Winner is responsible for arranging pick-up or delivery, at the winner's expense. RMHCK will assist in any way possible.
Our Pappy Raffle has raised $1,618,600 since 2019, providing 13,943 nights of comfort to families who travel to Louisville for medical treatment for their children. Thank you for making a positive impact on the lives of the families we serve!!
Questions? Contact dani@rmhck.org.
Virginia ABC shakes up system for buying rare spirits
Virginia ABC just changed the way it sells many of its rare spirits, ceasing its notification system in favor of randomized in-store stocking to even the playing field.
Why it matters: People were going to extreme lengths to snag sought-after spirits under the old system, including camping outside of liquor stores overnight and even committing felonies. Two former ABC employees were convicted for selling insider information.
The big picture: Virginia is one of 17 "control states," which means state-run stores are the only place one can buy liquor in person.
While everyday spirits like Tito's tend to be priced slightly higher, limited-edition bottles like Pappy Van Winkle are offered at the manufacturer's sales price — often hundreds or thousands of dollars less than you can find on the open market.
A 15-year-old bottle of Pappy Family Reserve may cost a Virginian $169.99 at the state liquor store, far less than nearly $2,500 from a Sotheby's auction.
That big gap makes these spirits attractive for imbibers and collectors, and also anyone eager to make big bucks on the resale market.
Zoom in: Virginia ABC has been trying for nearly a decade to find an equitable system for distributing its rare bottles.
It launched a lottery for uber-trendy Pappy in 2016. Two years ago, ABC started a "drop" and notify system for other rare spirits, which pinged a mailing list of subscribers when bottles arrived. Virginia tweaked that system multiple times amid complaints that it was unfair.
The notification system encouraged overnight campers, who hold an unfair advantage over people who can't dedicate eight hours to sleeping in a strip mall.
The latest: ABC will now stock store shelves with spirits at "random dates and times" and without notifications.
Store sales volume will determine which stores get the products and how much; the stock will not be listed on ABC's website in advance to try to keep down the crowds.
A one-bottle limit of the rare stuff is still in effect.
Between the lines: Whiskey guru Bill Thomas, who's amassed one of the largest U.S. collections at his Adams Morgan bar Jack Rose, tells Axios that the new ABC system will encourage more whiskey hunters — a pastime that helped build his collection.
"It's better for the consumer, who can stumble across a good bottle, and it's better for the state," says Thomas. "It makes Virginia a place to drop into liquor stores, and adds that layer of fun that maybe you'll find an iconic bottle."
The intrigue: Popular Pappy and other select bottles will continue to be sold under Virginia's lottery system, according to ABC. But Thomas says that Pappy isn't what most real-deal hunters are scouting for these days, even though he carries Pappys at his own store, Premier Drams.
What's getting whiskey nerds excited, according to Thomas, are one-offs, single barrels, and small batches from independent bottlers like Old Carter, Rare Character, Kentucky Senator, High West, and Pursuit Spirits — labels you might now come across at ABC.
"It's fun to hunt because you can find the next iconic bottling versus an established iconic brand," says Thomas.
If you're just getting into hunting, Thomas recommends whiskey podcasts like Bourbon Pursuit or reviews from Bourb Your Enthusiasm.
New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet's 2024 Buddy-Up! Raffle
Entries close Sep 27, 2024 at 4:00pm
New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet is offering whiskey lovers a dream prize – all to benefit Best Buddies NH!
This year one winner will be going home with a package that includes: