Four Roses Bourbon goes urban; returns to New York City

LAWRENCEBURG, Ky – Four Roses Bourbon has a rich history in New York. At one time, it could be found in bars and restaurants throughout the city. There were occasions when the most prominent outdoor board in Times Square – the one that sits atop the building where the New Year’s ball drops – advertised Four Roses Bourbon. Even going back to the late 1800s, Four Roses was the first spirits brand to place neon signs in the windows of Manhattan bars.

But it’s been 45 years since Four Roses Bourbon was available in New York City. Now it’s making a comeback.

"It’s déjà vu," says Master Distiller Jim Rutledge, who’s been with Four Roses for 40 years. "We’re no strangers to New York, but it’s been a while since we’ve been in the Big Apple and it’s great to be going back."

The first time New Yorkers can get a glimpse and taste of Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is at Whisky Live. Held April 4th at Pier Sixty in Manhattan, Whisky Live brings together various worldwide whiskey products, food and entertainment (www.whiskylive.com).

Beginning in April, two Four Roses products will start showing up in select restaurants, bars and liquor stores in the metro area. The two products are Four Roses Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Both are relatively new products acclaimed for their smooth and mellow taste.

Shortly after Four Roses Single Barrel was introduced, it was named "Best American Whiskey Under 10 Years Old" by Whisky Magazine in its Best of Best Awards in 2005. In September of 2006, Four Roses Small Batch was introduced at the Bourbon Festival in Kentucky and quickly sold out of its first bottling run, forcing a second bottling run much sooner than anticipated.

"The relevance of New York is important as we re-establish Four Roses in the U.S." says Rutledge. "Our barrel inventories have increased to the level that can now support the introduction of Four Roses Bourbon into other select markets."

In 2002, Four Roses was re-introduced to the U.S. with distribution limited to Kentucky. "Moving beyond the borders of Kentucky is something I’ve looked forward to for many years," adds Rutledge. "We made the decision several years ago that we would move slowly back into the U.S. market. We chose Kentucky first because it’s the most competitive of all Bourbon markets."

Nationwide, Bourbon has been experiencing a resurgence, which Rutledge attributes to many distilleries in Kentucky producing and marketing ultra-premium Bourbons over the past decade. "There’s no doubt that the single-barrel and small-batch craze has pulled this industry up by its bootstraps," says Rutledge. "We’ve been able to come to market with some outstanding products that are winning critical acclaim. So we’re confident we’ll do well in New York. And we expect to expand to other markets soon as well."

Four Roses is currently the top-selling Bourbon brand in Japan and is among the top brands throughout most of Western Europe. It was the top-selling brand in the US throughout the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s before owner Seagram decided to market the brand solely overseas.

When Kirin Brewery bought Four Roses in 2002, the decision was made to re-introduce Four Roses Bourbon to America. "We’ve had double-digit growth every year since the reintroduction, and we expect that to continue," Rutledge says.

While it’s not likely Four Roses will have a billboard in Times Square anytime soon, it is nice to know that Bourbon drinkers can now order a Four Roses Manhattan in Manhattan.

Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is returning to New York with two products: the newly introduced Small Batch (left) and the award-winning Single Barrel (right)

About Four Roses

In 1884, Paul Jones, Jr., moved his thriving business to Louisville, Kentucky, where he opened an office in a section of historic Main Street called, "Whiskey Row." Four years later, he trademarked the name Four Roses, claiming production and sales back to the 1860s. The name comes from his marriage proposal. He sent a message to a beautiful Southern belle asking her to wear a four-rose corsage to a grand ball if she accepted his proposal. She did and the rest is history. The historic distillery with its unique Spanish Mission-style architecture was built in 1911. In 1943 Seagram’s purchased both the Four Roses brand and the historic distillery. In 2002, Four Roses was sold to Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd.