Learn how Heaven Hill is adjusting content and supporting the industry

Due to COVID-19 there has been a lot of change within the marketplace, especially due to the closing of the On-Premise (bars and restaurants) in many states while Off-Premise (liquor stores and retail) has remained open. As a result, not only has production shifted to support different product, our Marketing, Sales, and Visitor Center Teams have been hard at work adjusting the content we share and how we interact with consumers.

Whether it be changing social media content to reflect staying home, hosting live social media events, encouraging online ordering and delivery through apps like Drizly, or supporting the local community and hospitality industry through philanthropic efforts, our teams have done a great job making sure Heaven Hill can adapt and support current circumstances.

Sharing Appropriate Content for the Current Climate

Those brands with social media accounts have adjusted content to reflect current consumer behavior and are encouraging people to stay home while enjoying Heaven Hill products. Some examples include:

Admiral Nelsons & Blackheart share easy, fun cocktail and culinary recipes as well as photos featuring virtual happy hours and seasonal at-home activities like spring cleaning.

Evan Williams Bourbon has adjusted content to encourage enjoying Evan Williams at home as well. Additionally, they are working to continue engaging with consumers through live events. Some examples are the recent Facebook Live Evan Williams Black tasting and virtual concert with country music artist J.D. Shelburne. Visit the Evan Williams Facebook page to view all videos.

Deep Eddy Vodka has taken full advantage of live streaming by hosting its “Mix with Music: Live” series on Instagram. Twice each week on Monday and Wednesday they partner with a bartender and musical artist for the series. Additionally, the Deep Eddy team is engaging the bartending community to create short two minute videos featuring bartenders creating Deep Eddy cocktails and adjusting overall social content to encourage enjoying Deep Eddy at home.​​​ See the Deep Eddy Instagram page to view all videos. 

Heaven Hill Distillery and Elijah Craig have shifted content similarly with a strong focus on Facebook Live events with our brand ambassadors including Bernie Lubbers, Jack Choate, and Lynn House as well as Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll. Most events consist of product tastings while others have been very unique such as the virtual tour of the Bernheim Distillery that Conor recently hosted. See all videos on the brand social media pages. 

Bartender of the Year has gone digital by partnering with the Daily Beast & Half Full to present a Bartenders at Home series​. Throughout each week, The Daily Beast shares videos featuring past Bartender of the Year finalists and other bartenders from across the country making cocktails at home using Heaven Hill brands.

Heaven Hill Brand Ambassadors have also adjusted how they interact with our sales team by hosting virtual trainings and webinars. 

Driving Consumers to Product Locators & Online Ordering/Delivery Sites

In addition to adjusting social media content, our brands have put a greater emphasis on driving consumers to brand-specific product locators and e-commerce sites such as Drizly, Minibar, and Reserve Bar during this time. We are fortunate that our industry offers consumers the ability to purchase product from the comfort of their own homes and have it delivered.

Philanthropic Efforts

Heaven Hill is excited to do our part to help our local communities during this time. Some brands and teams have even established their own philanthropic efforts for those populations most impacted by COVID-19.

Each year, Evan Williams recognizes veterans through the American-Made Heroes Program and this year the brand established the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund. Due to the national impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund will focus its inaugural efforts with the COVID-19 Veteran Relief Grant, which awards donations to nonprofit organizations that serve the veteran communities negatively impacted by the coronavirus. Read more about this effort in the press release here. The brand has also shared hand sanitzer production efforts on social media as the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience is one of the production locations in the Kentucky area.

Deep Eddy Vodka is yet another Heaven Hill hand sanitizer production location, serving the Texas community. Production is underway at both the Deep Eddy Vodka Distillery in Buda, Texas and the Deep Eddy Vodka Tasting Room in Dripping Springs, Texas. The brand has shared these efforts on social media including a behind the scenes tour of the distillery with Distillery Plant Manager Marc Cavazos. Deep Eddy is also again supporting the veteran community through its limited-edition Authentic American bottle. Each year through this program the brand makes a donation to Folds of Honor, an organization providing scholarships to the families of fallen soldiers. Additionally, Deep Eddy is supporting the hospitality and musician community through their social media live events mentioned above and paying those parties who participate. Finally, over 36,000 Deep Eddy bandanas have been donated to make masks for those on the front lines and throughout the brand’s communities. Learn more about all of these efforts here.

Elijah Craig is also committed to supporting hospitality workers and is encouraging Bourbon fans to do the same. With help from brand ambassador, Jack Choate, they’ve kicked things off with a $10,000 donation to the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation; and will match consumer donations dollar-for-dollar up to another $15,000. You can learn more and contribute to the Elijah Craig COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Relief Fund here.

Heaven Hill Distillery has also shared the company’s COVID-19 relief efforts on their social media accounts. Content has included a video featuring Max Shapira explaining our efforts and highlighting the hand sanitizer production and distribution process.

The Heaven Hill Sales Team has also been hard at work supporting the hospitality industry in their individual markets. We are sharing these efforts in a separate post, also linked in the News from the Hill Newsletter. 

Curbside Pickup at Visitor Centers

Though the visitor centers are currently closed to promote social distancing, both the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience and the Bourbon Heritage Center recently hosted curbside pickup events for consumers to experience new and unique Heaven Hill products safely. The EWBE hosted its first ever curbside pickup event for a Derby package on May 1st. The package included the 2020 Kentucky Derby Festival Evan Williams Single Barrel bottle, Evan Williams Mint Julep Mix, Derby Festival pin and more to help consumers celebrate the Kentucky Derby at home. Additionally, last Friday the Bourbon Heritage Center hosted a limited time curbside pickup event for the Old Fitzgerald VVS Release. Each bottle came with two commemorative glasses in celebration of Heaven Hill’s 85th Anniversary.

Overall our teams have done an excellent job adjusting messaging, events, and promotions to reflect the current climate. Heaven Hill is proud to share content tha​t consumers can enjoy even now and do our part by establishing various philanthropic efforts to support our local communities during this time.