AUSTIN, Texas– Saint Liberty Whiskey, the only company honoring the untold stories of pioneering women bootleggers, launched Bertie’s Bear Gulch Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Initially launching in Texas, with several states including Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, Louisiana and others to follow in the coming months.
As the inaugural spirit of the Montana Bootlegger’s Collection, Bertie’s Bear Gulch Bourbon Whiskey is aged at least four years in new white oak barrels and features a spice and slightly smoky flavor well beyond its years. It honors the untold story of Bertie “Birdie” Brown, an African American homesteader and Prohibition-era bootlegger from Montana.
Triple pot distilled in Lolo, Montana, Saint Liberty Bertie’s Bear Gulch Straight Bourbon Whiskey uses a mash bill of 70% Texas corn, 27.5% Saskatchewan rye, and 2.5% malted barley from North Dakota, leaving it with a profile that includes notes of dried fruits off the rye.
Packaged in a signature round-shouldered bottle inspired by the antique bottles of the American frontier, the brand just received a perfect 100 point “Century Award” for packaging innovation from the Pr%f Awards. The bourbon offers flavors of caramelized vanilla, apricots, and just a hint of brown sugar resulting from the low percentage of malted barley. Finished using the same pure Rocky Mountain water Bertie used to proof her whiskey nearly 100 years ago, Bertie’s Bear Gulch Straight Bourbon Whiskey is exceptionally smooth with a balanced finish.
Best enjoyed sipped neat or in a classic whiskey cocktail like the Old Fashioned, Bertie’s Bear Gulch Straight Bourbon Whiskey is now available in Texas with a suggested retail price of $44.99 for a 750 mL bottle. The warm amber colored whiskey is 87 proof and is best enjoyed responsibly.
About Bertie “Birdie” Brown
Bertie Brown – known as “Birdie” to her friends – was a woman of great courage and determination. She arrived in what was then the Montana Territory in 1898 from Missouri, a young, single, African American woman determined to make it on her own. She homesteaded alone along the banks of Brickyard Creek in Fergus County and built a reputation for offering locals and travelers alike a hot meal and comforts of home. Famous for the warm hospitality of her legendary parlor, Birdie carved out a niche for herself during Prohibition by brewing what locals called the “best moonshine in the country.” Her entrepreneurial spirit and determination to survive in a rough and wild frontier speaks to the tenacity and creativity of women that Saint Liberty honors. Sadly, Birdie didn’t live to see the end of Prohibition. In 1933, a revenue officer stopped to warn her to stop production of the illegal spirits she had become famous for. As she multitasked through the distraction, fumes from the gasoline she was using for dry cleaning was ignited by the flames from her latest batch of hooch, resulting in a kitchen explosion that left Birdie severely burned. She died shortly after the explosion, but her immortal spirit and never-ending kindness lives on in Saint Liberty Bertie’s Bear Gulch Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
About Saint Liberty Whiskey
Saint Liberty Whiskey is proud to celebrate the untold stories of pioneering, Prohibition-era women bootleggers from Montana. Inspired by the American ideals of independence, justice, and liberty, Saint Liberty honors the courageous, industrious women who pursued their happiness and provided economic freedom for their families through hard work, and sometimes breaking the rules. The company supports the women of today via its commitment to return 5% of gross sales to women’s empowerment, entrepreneurial, and educational efforts. Guided by an entirely female board of advisors, these efforts strive to create opportunities for women like the ones that Bertie Brown fought, and died, for. Saint Liberty Whiskey is a part of the Pioneer Branded Spirits family and will launch additional whiskeys later this year, including an 8-year rye celebrating another pioneering bootlegging woman. For more information, visit saintlibertywhiskey.com or email mark@saintlibertywhiskey.com or call 214.929.1442.