Chicken Cock Whiskey Releases Wheated Bourbon

The new Chicken Cock Wheated Bourbon is bottled at 94-proof and has been aged for a minimum of five years. Its mash bill consists of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. By using wheat as the secondary grain instead of the more common rye, the bourbon offers a softer and sweeter flavor profile. This release marks a new chapter for a brand with a storied past. Established in Paris, Kentucky, in 1856, Chicken Cock rose to prominence as the house whiskey at Harlem's famous Cotton Club during Prohibition. Patrons like Duke Ellington enjoyed the whiskey, which was often smuggled in tin cans to avoid authorities, earning it the nickname "the whiskey in a tin can." After a distillery fire in the 1950s, the brand largely disappeared until it was resurrected by spirits entrepreneur Matti Anttila. In 2012, Anttila's company, Grain & Barrel Spirits, acquired the historic brand with the aim of restoring it to its pre-Prohibition glory. The current Chicken Cock whiskeys are distilled at the Bardstown Bourbon Company in Kentucky. Grain & Barrel Spirits' portfolio also includes other resurrected and created brands like Dixie Southern Vodka and Endless Summer Rum. The company recently appointed industry veteran John Drakeford as its new General Manager to help continue the growth of its brands.