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Chip Tate Unveils Ampersand From Foley Family Wines & Spirits

What happens when whiskey legend Chip Tate blends American rye with French Calvados? Meet Ampersand - three rule-breaking spirits that defy category conventions.
  • Hannah Thompson is a specialist whiskey educator and writer, passionate about bringing stories and understanding to more people.
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Chip Tate Unveils Ampersand From Foley Family Wines & Spirits
Credit: Foley Family Wines & Spirits

Foley Family Wines & Spirits (FFWS) has unveiled Ampersand, a collection of three small-batch spirits created by master distiller Chip Tate. The line represents Tate’s first release since joining FFWS as Master Distiller for Innovation in January 2024.

The portfolio includes Ampersand Malus ($59), blending 51% American rye whiskey with 49% Calvados; Ampersand Vinea ($59), combining 75% American rye whiskey with 25% grain spirit aged in XO Cognac casks; and Ampersand Opimus ($150), featuring 15-year-old Kentucky bourbon finished in Tokaji barrels.

“The Ampersand collection includes unexpected combinations that create something far more intriguing than their individual parts,” said Tate.

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Malus, bottled at 92 proof and non-chill filtered, combines eight-year-old American rye whiskey with eight-year-old Calvados from Normandy. The expression produced 6,000 bottles.

Vinea blends eight-year-old rye whiskey with nine-plus-year-old grain spirit made from 100% corn aged in XO Cognac casks. The 92-proof spirit yielded 8,500 bottles.

Opimus features 15-year-old Kentucky bourbon finished in Hungarian Tokaji casks at 117-proof cask strength. Production totaled 11,500 bottles.

“Chip is a visionary talent, and his reputation for flavor and whiskey innovation manifests in Ampersand Spirits,” said Jason Daniel, Foley’s CMO.

Daniel noted that American rye whiskey priced above $35 is experiencing double-digit growth. The U.S. has become the second-largest export market for Calvados.

The collection has earned multiple awards, including Double Gold Medals for Malus at the 2025 TAG Global Spirits Awards and 2025 Concours d’Spirits.

Vinea received a Platinum Award at the 2025 TAG Global Spirits Awards. Opimus earned Best in Show and 97 points at the 2025 Global Whisky Challenge, North America.

Tate founded Texas-based Balcones Distilling and was twice named Whisky Icon. He revealed plans for future projects, stating: “We’re just getting started, as I am also spending time in Mexico working on developing new distillation techniques for my agave projects.”

Ampersand is available at retailers in most states and online at ampersandspirits.com where permitted.

Hannah Thompson

Hannah Thompson is a whiskey educator who helps consumers understand everything they need to know to make an informed decision about whiskey investment. She has been working in the secondary whiskey market since 2019 and joined The Whiskey Wash team when Mark Littler took over as Editor in Chief. Working with Mark Littler Hannah has amassed a broad range of whiskey knowledge and specializes in helping consumers make education driven cask investments. Hannah has authored two published works of fiction and her background in research and creative writing lets her create interesting and informative articles to give people a solid understanding of the world of whiskey.

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