Southlake-based whiskey brand Oak & Eden has launched a new Whiskey Customizer, allowing whiskey enthusiasts to customize their own highly-personalized bottle.
Co-founder and CEO Joseph Giildenzopf says the launch is “paving the way for a new era of personalization and experimentation within the spirits industry.” With over 200 variations to choose from, Oak & Eden is the first national spirit brand to offer single bottle customization at this scale.
The Whiskey Customizer begins with selecting a base: rye, bourbon, wheated bourbon, or four grain bourbon at either 90 proof (45% ABV) or 114 proof (57% ABV). All four bases have been distilled and aged for at least three years, mostly at MGP Ingredients, a leading premium distilled spirits producer.
The next step utilizes one of the company’s four patents: an In-Bottle Finishing technique, in which a wooden spire is inserted into a fully aged bottle of whiskey. Customers can choose an American oak spire for a sweet and toasty finish, or a French oak spire for floral and peppery notes. For further nuance, the spires can be soaked with 11 different infusions, including vanilla, port wine, coffee, cabernet, and orange liqueur. Additional rotating seasonal infusions will also soon become available.
Ranging from $59 to $79 with nationwide shipping at an additional charge, each bottle comes with its own designated name on the label for the last finishing touch.
The idea for Oak & Eden’s finishing technique was seeded when Giildenzopf’s brother placed a piece of barrel into a Mason jar of moonshine for more flavor. Two years later, the Giildenzopfs joined brand-builder Brad Neathery to found the company in 2018. Today, it’s the fastest growing ultra-premium whiskey brand in the U.S., according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, an industry leader in alcohol data and analysis.
IWSR’s research also recently found that whiskey is having a major moment in the U.S. In 2022, whiskey production surpassed vodka for the first time in almost two decades, with American whiskey holding the largest volume share and percentage growth at 4%. In addition, earlier this month, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), announced American whiskey as the third fastest-growing spirit in the U.S., with revenue increasing by 10.5% from the previous year. American whiskeys earned $5.1 billion in 2022.
Neathery thinks whiskey’s comeback may possibly be attributed to Yellowstone, the neo-Western drama series that’s reviving cowboy culture with stars like Kevin Costner. Neathery believes entertainment impacts culture, and that cowboy culture is spreading. “You don’t have to look too far to see Stetsons in New York City now,” he says.
Oak & Eden tapped into entertainers and musicians for three years leading up to the Whiskey Customizer launch with its Anthro series. Yellowstone actor Forrie J. Smith created a bourbon with a coffee-infused American oak spire. Nashville country artist Filmore got behind a four-grain bourbon with a coffee- and honey-infused American oak spire. And Fort Worth rising star Abraham Alexander, who learned to play the guitar after a soccer injury, created a 90 proof bourbon finished with a vanilla-soaked American oak spire.
The goal with the Anthro series was always aimed at eventually allowing the consumer to tap into their creative spirit with the Whiskey Customizer, Neathery says.
In addition to online sales, Oak & Eden’s flagship store and bar is in Bridgeport, Texas, near Decatur, where customers can create a bottle without the shipping and handling fees. Oak & Eden also will open its second location, a restaurant, in Fort Worth’s Clearfork development this summer.
Oak & Eden’s parent company, Sanctified Spirits, isn’t stopping on innovating premium whiskeys with creative flair any time soon. Next month, the company will debut a new brand: JOJO, a cookie dough-flavored whiskey.
Find the Whiskey Customizer at oakandeden.com.
