New Riff Distilling, the craft whiskey producers from Newport, Kentucky, are throwing their support behind restaurant workers in their home region with the release of New Riff Relief 15 Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
This limited release, bottled in bond directly from their warehouse and distilled in Indiana, is capped at just under 900 bottles, with all profits going to benefit organizations providing financial relief and services for bar, restaurant, and service workers in northern Kentucky and greater Cincinnati.
“We sprung this extremely limited bottling from our warehouse to support the bar and restaurant community that has supported us from the start,” said Hannah Lowen, New Riff’s vice president of operations, in a prepared statement. “This is how we can raise a glass — and funds — for our embattled friends.”
This release is part of a bigger project, spearheaded by the Cincinnati Bourbon Society, to raise $120,000 for those workers whose jobs and lives have been affected by the ongoing pandemic. To that end, the profits from New Riff Relief will be donated to two different organizations, the Ohio Restaurant Employee Relief Fund and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, who will disburse funds to people in need. The former was created by the Ohio Restaurant Association Education Foundation and the Ohio Restaurant Association in response to the effects of COVID-19 on the restaurant industry. To date, they’ve received support from Echo Spirits, makers of Echo Spirits Straight Rye Whiskey and the Superior Beverage Group, which distributes a variety of spirits throughout northeast and central Ohio.
New Riff is keeping sales of New Riff Relief in-house, as bottles—which retail for $200—will only be available through the distillery’s shop in Newport. They will also be offering single pours of the whiskey at their in-house tasting bar, the Aquifer. More information is forthcoming about how you can pick up a bottle of this special release.
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