It’s barely been a decade since Horse Soldier Bourbon arrived on the American whiskey scene. And in that relatively short period of time, the craft upstart – founded, in part, by a team of retired US Special Forces veterans who galloped into the mountains of Afghanistan in the immediate wake of 9/11 – has already amassed quite the following. Now the brand reveals its rarest release to date: Liberty Edition, a 13-year old Kentucky straight bourbon timed to coincide with the country’s 250th anniversary celebration on July 4th of this year.
The 100-proof one off is a stunning liquid, to be sure. And it had better be, given the $700 price tag. Though Horse Soldier doesn’t reveal the exact sourcing, it does disclose a mashbill of 74% corn, 18% rye and 8% malted barley; bourbon sleuths out there will be quick to connect that exact recipe to Barton 1792 Distillery. At any rate, it noses with butterscotch – a sweetness supported by the toffee tones girding its creamy-textured mouthfeel. But the lasting tickle of herbs and pepper spice reveals a pleasing sophistication and balance to the overall presentation.
And speaking of presentation, everything about this amber-hued liquid holds some sort of symbolic undertone. The age statement is a reference to the original 13 colonies. There are a total of 1,776 decanters, a not-so-subtle callback to the country’s birthyear. And the bottle itself evokes the Statue of Liberty, with an antiqued copper label, surrounded by patina-like teal, and a radiant gold flame enclosure.
It’s a showpiece for sure, meant to sit proudly on the top shelf of a home bar. Which is where you’d probably want to position a $700 bottle of bourbon. But you’re getting more than just rare liquid for that price. You’re also giving back to a good cause. With the sale of each bottle of Liberty Edition, Horse Soldier is making a donation to the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Foundation, supporting the preservation of historic American landmarks.
And it turns out that 2026 isn’t just an auspicious year for Lady Liberty. It’s also a pivotal one for the Horse Soldier brand. On July 4th, Horse Soldier Farms opens to the public. The state-of-the-art production facility and visitor destination in Somerset, Kentucky will serve as the whiskey maker’s outsized home base, including a distillery, restaurant, outdoor event spaces and access to waterfront recreation.
To get a better sense of what the next 10 years has in store for Horse Soldier, we sat down with the brand’s three co-founders, John Koko, Elizabeth Pritchard-Koko, and Scott Neil.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Has your military identity shaped the way you run the distillery, and does commanding a business ever feel anything like commanding a team in the field?
Scott Neil: “My leadership approach is rooted in the principles behind special operations—small teams, high trust, and the ability to operate in uncertain environments without over-structuring the process. We emphasize alignment on intent, not micromanagement, so people understand the ‘why’ and can make decisions at their level with confidence. That kind of trust and accountability creates speed and ownership, which is critical both in unconventional environments and in building a business. For us, it translates into a culture where people are empowered to execute, adapt, and consistently raise the standard.”
When you set out to design a bottle that honors the Statue of Liberty’s 250th anniversary, where did you even begin?
Elizabeth Pritchard-Koko: “That’s a great question because for me, design and packaging has to start with meaning and emotion.I could not think of a better symbol that ties to our brand than lady Liberty. The statue is a gift from France, a beacon of arrival, a symbol of resilience, weathered by time but not diminished. Our glass is from France, our mission statement is inspiring people believe that anything is possible, our Horse soldier Story is one of resilience and bourbon becomes amazing as it ages over time. It’s historical symmetry which evokes emotion. I love connecting hearts and minds in packaging design.”
You are helping build Horse Soldier Farms into what sounds like a full hospitality destination. What is the experience you hope a first-time visitor will have the moment they walk through those doors?
EPK: “It all started with three friends on horse back in Yellowstone and we created the brand concept on this trip. We want the visitor to feel a personal, approachable and warm experience, not a disneyesque experience. Stylistically we try to achieve this in everything we do. We want people to come back often and not think of this as a one-time stop. Building this brand has been an emourmous undertaking. As people walk through those doors we want them to believe that anything is possible.”
At $799 a bottle, Liberty Edition occupies a very rarified space in the bourbon market. How do you make sure the bottle, the cause, and the liquid all justify that investment together?
EPK: “The three pillars must stand independently and reinforce one another. The bottle and design is stunning and timeless. The 13 year old bourbon is outstanding-Liquid integrity and selected to match the gravity of the occasion. The meaning and cause is one that touches the hearts and minds of so many people, especially on the 250th anniversary of the USA. The bottle commemorates 250 years of liberty and supports those who protected it. To me, the $799 doesn’t feel like a price, it feels like participation in a moment.”
As the brand grows, brings on new team members, and reaches new audiences, how do you ensure the founding story remains authentic rather than becoming just a marketing narrative?
John Koko: “9/11 is sacred history, a wound that will live in our collective memory for 100 years. We will never forget. But 9/12 is the day everyone, despite every difference, was simply American. We came together as a nation. That’s the DNA we select as a teammate. The day after the tragedy, did you put others ahead of self? To build a brand is about self-sacrifice. We don’t think of ourselves as a military brand. We think of ourselves as the Team America brand. You don’t have to go to war to serve. Our consumer is the police officer, the nurse, the firefighter, the farmer, the small business owner grinding without fanfare. We want every one of them to believe that anything is still possible in this country. We want them to be the celebrity in staring in their own lives. The spark stays alive by remembering why we started this. We had no resources, no training, no business experience, and walked into a space dominated by global giants. What we had was each other, and genuine care for the American patriots who would eventually drink this bourbon. It is our vision to have people see our Spirit as the one that lives inside all of us. The bottle is our attempt to capture that moment on 9/12 and share those key moments in life since.”
Looking at where you stood in the earliest days of this company versus where you stand today with Liberty Edition in hand and Horse Soldier Farms on the horizon, what surprises you most about the journey, and what do you most want the next 13 years to look like?
EPK: “What surprises me is how much we’ve accomplished in a relatively short period of time. It’s actually remarkable. The same principals that applied in the first days still apply now.clairity, confidence, no shortcuts, Intentionality. We have been able to stay true to this on our journey through all the growth which is likely contributed to our success. We are a premium American brand and think way beyond the next 13 years. We are 100 year old legacy brand and lifestyle brand.I remain very excited about the future
JK: “Three Things Surprised me: first, how hard it is to grow past a startup without losing yourself. The pressure to become something more palatable, more predictable, more like what already exists, it’s constant. It is a grind. Staying authentic while scaling is the hardest thing we’ve done, and we’ve done some hard things. Second, that other people would love what we love. We made bourbon we wanted to drink. Turns out a lot of Americans were thirsty for the same thing. That quiet confidence of trusting yourself. Third, how many people will try to limit your dreams with their own vision for you. They mean well. But a group of Special Forces soldiers had no business starting a bourbon company, and we did it anyway. We’ve learned to smile and keep moving. We have been told over and over again why we can’t succeed, but we know they measure success differently than us. What mattered is what we thought and what we wanted this to be for our families. The next decade is not simpler than the last. We want to strengthen this business, protect what makes this brand what it is, and finish building a place on a quiet lane in Kentucky where the world can come find us. They can watch us work with passion, share a glass, have a laugh.”
