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In a first for the category, Never Say Die Bourbon finished its maturation in England after six weeks of sailing across the Atlantic from Kentucky in the US.
Never Say Die was distilled and matured in the US state before its journey to be aged in Derbyshire in the UK. It was created by Bourbon distillers Pat Heist and Shane Baker, alongside a transatlantic team of founders.
Introducing England’s First Bourbon: Never Say Die
Q: What world-first whiskey is born in the USA, but matured in Britain, and has a story taking in a Derby-winning horse and the Beatles?
A: NEVER SAY DIE. Beating the odds (and Donald Trump) to become England’s first-ever bourbon.
Every year, English whisky gets better and better, just like its wine.
The county of Derbyshire has just launched what is believed to be the first English Bourbon, aged on a transatlantic voyage. “Never Say Die” is named not after the James Bond film but the first American-bred colt to win the Epsom Derby in seventy-three years. That was in 1954.
It’s a first for BarLifeUK to be offered an American Whiskey trip and find ourselves on a train to a misty Derbyshire. Never Say Die is a Bourbon with a difference, and we were about to spend the day finding out all about it.
Described as “England’s first Bourbon”, this whiskey takes its name from the Kentucky-born winner of the Epsom Derby, the bottle features magenta and scarlet to represent the silks that jockey Lester Piggot wore when he won the race.
David Wild from the UK and Kentucky native Pat Madden have launched what they say is “England’s first Bourbon”.
The whiskey – named Never Say Die after a horse owned by Madden’s father – has a higher rye content than most other Bourbons, made with 25% rye, 71% corn, 4% malted barley.
Never Say Die Bourbon is inspired by the legendary tale of the namesake racehorse and is believed to be the first bourbon to be distilled and matured in barrels in Derbyshire to give it a unique British finish.
Described as “England’s first Bourbon”, Never Say Die is a celebration of horse racing, The Beatles and the end of tariffs – and its unique flavour comes from its transatlantic voyage.
Northerner David Wild and Kentucky native Pat Madden first met at Queens’ College, Cambridge, but it wasn’t until 30 years later at a reunion dinner that their idea to create a spirit that brings the US and UK together started to take shape.
Sometimes it takes a racehorse, a sea voyage and a reduction in tariffs to create the perfect Bourbon Whiskey.
Never Say Die, the world-first Bourbon inspired by the legendary tale of the namesake racehorse, is launching its flagship product today for the UK market.
A deal to lift trans-Atlantic tariffs on a wide variety of exports has been celebrated by a UK bourbon firm.
Never Say Die was set up in 2017 to ship supplies of the liquor from Kentucky to Derbyshire to be matured and then sold.
From today, UK steel and aluminium exporters can get back to exporting to our largest trading partner.
Following the resolution of the S232 tariff dispute earlier this year, from 1 June UK steel and aluminium exporters are free to start exporting tariff free up to a specified volume to our largest trading partner for the first time since 2018.
Washington concerned that London’s threats to override Northern Ireland protocol will undermine peace in region.
The model impressed by the horse Lestor Piggott rode to victory in 1954 begins its maiden trans-Atlantic voyage with its first Whiskey anticipated within the UK in July
The Bourbon Alliance is calling on the hospitality sector to pledge support on their website, engage on social media, and join the fight to Free the Spirit.
A new bourbon brand – Never Say Die, has gone into production with plans to launch in the UK following its US debut.
An exciting new brand – Never Say Die Bourbon – goes into production today. The brand is inspired by Kentucky’s own Never Say Die, the first American racehorse since 1881 to win the English Derby in 1954.
This also means lifting our rebalancing measures on products like US whiskies, Harley Davidsons and Levi’s 🥃🏍️👖
Great for
@NSDBourbon
as they launch England’s first bourbon whiskey drink.
Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, and Brown-Forman have joined with The Bourbon Alliance – an army of distillers, restaurants and pubs, retailers, wholesalers, and US Whiskey fans – to urge the British Government to remove the 25% tariff on imported US Whiskey caused by a trade dispute over steel. The campaign is calling on the hospitality sector to sign up to the campaign and to help Free the Spirit from tariffs.
Initially only available as Single Barrels and bottled at Cask Strength
