SANTA FE, N.M.— Big Nose Kate, the celebrated western whiskey from Melissa Heim, is proud to announce that beloved actors, writers, producers and world renowned whiskey enthusiasts Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone have joined forces with the brand. Together they will raise a glass and introduce their favorite new whiskey to friends and fans alike nationwide.
“What can we say, it was love at first sip,” said McCarthy and Falcone. “BNK drinks as bold and badass as Kate was herself.”
“Big Nose Kate breaks the mold in so many ways, and in turn, we earned the opportunity to collaborate with two very cool and visionary talents in Melissa and Ben,” says co-founder Mel Heim. “I could not have dreamt up a better partnership than this to propel our vision.”
In addition to the investment from McCarthy and Falcone, Big Nose Kate has secured funding from Springdale Ventures and Goat Rodeo Capital, two of the United States’ premier early-stage funds with deep spirits expertise.
Big Nose Kate is a first-of-its-kind blend of Straight Rye Whiskey and American Single Malt. The spirit opens with notes of dry sherry, stone fruit and cocoa then mellows with distinct malt cereal and green apple, finishing with butterscotch and candied lemon. Artfully and meticulously sourced from superb distillers across the country, the whiskey is well-traveled, bold, and brave. Just like its namesake. (And yes, it has a big nose.)
In naming the whiskey after Maria Izabella Magdolna Horony, later known as Catherine Elder and “Big Nose Kate” — an icon, rule breaker, and enterpriser, but never fully appreciated as the huge force on the frontier that she was— Heim and her partners aim to celebrate all adventurers who are owed their due.
Big Nose Kate is distributed by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, the world’s preeminent distributor of beverage alcohol. The brand is now available for purchase at select stores, bars and restaurants in New Mexico, Arizona, Oregon and Washington. More states will follow.
About Big Nose Kate
Big Nose Kate is produced in Santa Fe, New Mexico, one of several towns in the Old West where Kate ran enterprises and wreaked havoc. A key contributor to the whiskey production is Caley Shoemaker of Santa Fe’s Altar Spirits, herself an industry luminary, and like Heim, one of the first female Head Distillers in the United States. Also playing a key role in Big Nose Kate in various capacities are Kevin Burke, a highly experienced beverage industry leader; and Paul Earle, an entrepreneur and branding aficionado.
About Our Namesake
The extraordinary life of Maria Izabella Magdolna Horony, also known as Catherine Elder, and later feared and revered everywhere simply as the inimitable one-and-only Big Nose Kate, is a tale for the ages. A Hungarian aristocrat’s daughter turned immigrant and orphan, she was drawn to the wild American west through chance, rebellion, opportunity, and a deep curiosity in people, places and ideas. A strong, industrious, and fiercely independent self-made woman generations ahead of her time, Kate was Doc Holliday’s “partner in crime,” butted horns with Wyatt Earp, and ran a number of gambling and entertainment operations. Historians agree that in the Old West, there was no better friend, and no worse enemy than Big Nose Kate. Yet the Docs, the Wyatts, the cowboys, and the rangers always commanded center stage. Until now.
About Melissa Heim
Mel is a Head Distiller & Blender who has already won 40 medals for flavor and quality in a wide range of spirits products that she has made. Mel is considered by many to be one of the first ever female Head Distillers and blenders west of the Mississippi, and also one of the youngest. A visionary maker, general manager, executive, and operator, Mel does it all at Big Nose Kate.
For More Information:
https://bignosekate.co