We are our brother’s keeper, so we’ve really taken an opportunity to do a couple of things. On the flip side, our company has always had an element of philanthropy. To be a Black-owned, female-owned company and selling a premium whiskey is very unique in this country so there definitely have been some people that have reached out to us that really want to support this movement and move us along. The social justice movement and things that have gone on this year have definitely contributed to our success, but we were already seeing that trajectory over the last year. We have always done ecommerce from the very beginning because we knew it was important to get products into people’s hands especially because our brand launched right after an amazing New York Times article in 2017. Obviously with COVID, people’s drinking habits started to change. How has Uncle Nearest been adapting to the massive consumer upheavals of 2020? This interview has been edited for length and clarity. The brand has won more than 100 awards, including being named "World's Best" at Whisky Magazine's 20 World Whiskies Awards.Brand Innovators caught up with Jerkens, a veteran marketer who has also held senior roles at Yas Fitness Centers, W Hotels and JRK Hotel Group, from her home in Los Angeles, to discuss Uncle Nearest. 2020 has definitely been an interesting year, thankfully and gratefully we were on an upward trajectory.”, “Factoring out anything happening this year, we were on a very fast trajectory: In less than three years, we rolled out 12 countries including the United Kingdom, Japan, South Africa and we are currently rolling out in Canada right now. “We are the fastest growing independent whisky company in history right now,” says Kate Jerkens, SVP, Global Sales & Marketing at Uncle Nearest. The brand is currently available in 15,000 stores, bars and restaurants in all 50 states, as well as in 12 countries, with shipping available to 148 countries. Since Weaver brought the whiskey to market, the company has been growing exponentially. The first batches were curated by Victoria Eady Butler, great-great-granddaughter of Nearest. These bottles honor Nearest’s legacy, and each batch is curated and signed by one of Nearest Green’s descendants. The company’s line includes several products –its core 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey ($60) Nearest Green 1820, a single barrel whiskey ($119) and the 1884 Premium Small Batch Whiskey. Uncle Nearest Premium is still making whiskey the way Nearest did. Nearest was known for perfecting the Lincoln County Process, a signature process for distilling Tennessee Whiskey, and is often thought of as the godfather of Tennessee Whiskey. The brand was founded by CEO Fawn Weaver, who was inspired by the first African American master distiller on record in the US, Nearest Green. Independent whiskey brand Uncle Nearest launched in July 2017, and has since earned its name as one of the best whiskeys in the world winning prizes and accolades across the globe.
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