Extinct Spirits, a new independent brand pairing single-cask whiskeys with original artwork of lost species, will launch this November with Extinction Event I honoring the dodo. The Tennessee-based venture will open presales on Friday 13 November at 9pm ET via its website.
The brand is built around three pillars: unique whiskey, original art, and the stories of species lost to time.
“I didn’t set out simply to create another limited-release whiskey brand,” Hanna said. “Over the years, I’ve come across unique stocks that you simply don’t see in today’s market. When you find something like that, there is only so much of it, and there may never be anything quite like it again.”
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READ THE STORYEach release is called an Extinction Event. The company sources distinctive single-cask spirits in finite quantities and pairs each one with an extinct species and commissioned artwork.
Once the final bottle sells, the release enters The Archive, a permanent record of the spirit, species, and artwork behind each Extinction Event.
The inaugural release honors the Dodo Bird (Raphus cucullatus), the flightless bird native to Mauritius that disappeared in the 17th century. The dodo has become one of the most widely recognized symbols of human-driven extinction.
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Co-founder Cole Hanna leads the search for the spirits. He is a bourbon industry veteran with experience in sourcing, selecting, and blending whiskey, and is also co-founder of Kentucky’s H.K. Young Bourbon Co., a brand focused on toasted barrel finishing.
Hanna said the concept grew from casks he encountered that stood apart but had no home within existing product lines.
Original artwork commissioned for each Extinction Event extends across the bottle and packaging.
Co-founder Darrick Jackson said the small scale is deliberate. “There’s something exciting about intentionally keeping our releases to just a handful of barrels each year,” he said. “That’s how we intend to operate one of the most highly curated single-barrel programs in the industry.”
Conservation also sits at the brand’s core. The company has committed to raising awareness and supporting efforts to protect vulnerable species and their ecosystems.
“Extinct Spirits gives us an opportunity to pay tribute to the stories of what the world has already lost, while also raising awareness and supporting efforts to protect what is still here,” said co-founder Joslyn Hanna.
A limited number of bottles will be available online at extinctspirits.com. Interested buyers can join The Archive on the brand’s site and follow Extinct Spirits on social media.
