A Very Rock n' Roll Holiday: FEW Spirits Releases Icons of Rock Collection Featuring Whiskey Collabs with Legends of Modern Rock

Collection includes partnerships with The Smashing Pumpkins, Alice In Chains, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

EVANSTON, IL (OCTOBER 21, 2024) - FEW Spirits, the Evanston, IL distillery unapologetically experimental in its whiskey production that has grown to national prominence in part through its work with some of modern rock’s biggest names, announces today that for the first time three of its collaborations are available in a single collection.

The FEW Spirits Icons of Rock Collection features Motor Oil Whiskey, the brand’s collaboration with indie darlings Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; All Secrets Known, released in partnership with Seattle grunge legends Alice In Chains; and The Smashing Pumpkins Bourbon, which sees FEW team up with its Chicagoland neighbors, The Smashing Pumpkins.

The FEW Spirits Icons of Rock Collection is available to eligible shipping states exclusively through FEW’s direct-to-consumer channel and retails for $149.99.

The whiskeys:

• FEW Motor Oil: Featuring label art inspired by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s logo, every bottle of FEW Spirits Motor Oil Whiskey is a blend of three whiskeys: FEW Bourbon finished in rum barrels, FEW Bourbon finished in vermouth barrels, and a mesquite-smoked wheat whiskey. The result is full-flavored and complex - grassy and sweet from the rum barrel; herbaceous, bitter and vegetal notes from the vermouth barrel; and heavy mesquite smoke that evokes winding back roads, long stretches of highway, and pit stops at roadside barbecue joints of West Texas. The blend was proofed and bottled at a very rock n’ roll 101.
• FEW All Secrets Known: The name is a reference to the title of track one on Alice In Chains’ fourth studio album Black Gives Way To Blue, which has sold more than 1 million copies worldwide. For this special whiskey, FEW Bourbon is finished for six months in tequila barrels and bottled at 101 proof (50.5% ABV). Bold, sweet, and spicy bourbon top notes are accentuated by grassy agave undertones. 
• FEW The Smashing Pumpkins Bourbon: The 93-proof bottling is FEW’s signature straight bourbon, aged four years, and cut to bottling strength using Midnight Rose black tea from Madame Zuzu’s Emporium, the independent, boutique tea shop run by The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan and his wife, entrepreneur Chloé Mendel Corgan. The bourbon, like the band, is a singular experience. Bright aromas of rose water and ripe honeydew melon peek out above more familiar vanilla and caramel. On the palate, fans of FEW whiskeys will recognize signature bold, sweet and spicy bourbon notes, along with flavors of rose water, sandalwood, caramel, vanilla, and black tea all backed by a full body and long finish.

Said FEW Spirits founder and master distiller Paul Hletko, “I think the common thread between what we do at FEW and what these incredible artists do through their music is a willingness to chart your own course. Sometimes, if not most of the time, that means going well against what everyone else is telling you to do. It’s that spirit of defiance and self-reliance that has always drawn me to bands like Black Rebel, Alice In Chains, and The Smashing Pumpkins. And the truth is, I’m much better at making whiskey than I’ll ever be at playing guitar. So if I can’t join these legends on stage, this is the next best thing.”

About FEW Spirits

A grain-to-glass distillery embracing innovation since 2011, FEW Spirits produces award–winning craft whiskey in a tucked away alley located in Evanston, IL, a historical town where Prohibition lasted until 1972. Founder & Master Distiller Paul Hletko changed the future of Evanston when he opened FEW Spirits Distillery, the first (legal) alcohol-production facility of any kind to ever open there. Since, he’s collaborated with rock stars, employed experimental distillation and proofing methods, and more.

Hletko always knew he wanted to make craft spirits — produced in the local Chicago area — that offered something that broke the rules of traditional whiskey making and offered something rare and different. Living in Evanston, a town that was prime for change after being dry for four decades post the repeal of prohibition, Paul felt it was the perfect home and backdrop for FEW and the brand. Deeply integrated into the brand story, both Evanston and Chicago are crucial elements of the FEW DNA and its inspiration. From its liquid, created from locally grown or sourced ingredients, to the look & feel of the label design, which pays homage to the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago — FEW is the true definition of a local Illinois craft spirit.

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