Stetson has spent the past 160 years establishing itself as a legacy lifestyle brand. A mere mention of the name conjures images of its iconic cowboy hat and, with it, the pioneering spirit of the American West. Today it becomes intertwined with another sort of American spirit altogether: Kentucky Straight Bourbon. We’ve got your first taste of the liquid right here.
The $70 bottle arrives on shelves this week, a 100-proof high-rye offering sourced from Bardstown, Kentucky. It’s a blend of whiskies matured for a minimum of seven years, combining in the glass to affect caramelized apple aromatics and a creme brûlée-inspired amalgam of texture and confection on the palate. A fantastic sort of dessert dram that was birthed by Dan Callaway of Bardstown Bourbon Company.
But it hardly came together overnight. Stetson partnered with the award-winning blender after a three year journey to find the optimal producer, or producers – as it turned out. What ended up in the bottle marks the first-ever collaboration between Green River Distilling Company and Bardstown Bourbon Company. Though both labels have shared common ownership since 2022, it took this project to unite them in a solitary batch. And it’s a convergence that most earnestly represents the Stetson name, as well, as there’s a pronounced ruggedness to the finish, one that perhaps even hints at worn leather.
“For more than 160 years, Stetson has stood alongside the people who built the American West,” says Stetson CEO Robert Dundon in a press release. “Bourbon has always been part of that same tradition, woven into the same ranches, saloons, and gatherings our hats have been part of.”
Indeed, it’s hard to imagine a Stetson hat in any environment that doesn’t also include brown hooch on shelf. Ergo, it’s an entirely organic extension of the brand and – thanks to its vintage-like packaging, evoking the American West – it’ll seem like it’s always been there. Specifically, every bottle is labeled with a depiction of The Last Drop from His Stetson, a historic, widely-recognized painting by Lon Megargee.
Although the whiskey’s presentation harkens back to a bygone chapter from the American frontier, its distribution is markedly modern. It’s available today direct-to-consumers online, where allowable by law. Only folks in Texas will see it the old fashioned way: sitting on physical shelves. There are plans to expand off-premise distribution in the near future. And with 160 years of waiting, what’s a few more months?
“We wanted to bring a unique premium expression to market that our discerning customers will enjoy wherever they celebrate the rituals of their lives,” adds Dundon. “It’s about time.”