EVANSTON, Ill.— FEW Spirits announces the release of Motor Oil Whiskey, a new, limited-release collaboration between FEW Spirits Founder and Master Distiller Paul Hletko and modern rock icons Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, honoring the 21st anniversary of the band’s seminal debut album, B.R.M.C.
Motor Oil is scheduled to be available for purchase on July 1.
“I’ve been a fan of Black Rebel since the debut album came out,” said Hletko. “When we heard they were looking for a distillery to work with, you better believe we jumped at that chance.”
Said Black Rebel Motorcycle Club founding member and bassist Robert Levon Been, “We’d always joke around about how someday we should make our own whiskey called ‘Motor Oil’ that’s so painful nobody would be able to actually drink it. It would basically be jet fuel in a bottle, just pure pain. But then we met Paul Hletko and he said, ‘Yeah that’s cool, but that’s illegal’. So after brooding for a bit, Paul took the next year to properly school us in how it’s really done, dialing in what somehow eventually became a legitimate incredible whiskey blend, which is crazy, and we’re still mostly surprised we didn’t blow up the barn.”
Featuring label art inspired by the band’s logo, every bottle of FEW Spirits Motor Oil Whiskey (SRP: $60/750 ml) 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 & bottled at a very rock n’ roll 101.
The arduous creative process, spanning two years and a global pandemic, involved sending samples to band members in points around the world, conducting blind tastings over video calls, tweaking flavor profiles based on band feedback, regrouping, and starting the process all over again until just the right blend was achieved.
Of the collaborative process, Hletko commented, “Creating a new whiskey is a lot like working a song – what are you trying to say? What do you want it to feel like? I was picturing riding on a motorcycle through backcountry roads and Route 66 – from one end of the ‘Mother Road’ in Chicago, to the California coast where the band began. But what does that sound like, and taste like, and what kind of feelings are evoked by that ride?”
Motor Oil is the latest in a series of acclaimed collaborations between FEW Spirits and world-famous music acts. In 2016, Hletko partnered with The Flaming Lips to create Brainville Rye Whiskey. Released in 2019, All Secrets Known was a limited-edition bourbon created with Alice In Chains.
All 1,800 bottles of FEW Spirits Motor Oil Whiskey will be available exclusively through buyfewspirits.com. As Paul said, just like a concert it’s an ephemeral experience – once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Commented Levon Been, “This project went so far beyond anything we had in mind. I’m still pretty sure it can power your car, but it’s also a really great whiskey. So it’s like a win-win, and I defy anyone to prove that to be untrue. The tasting part – Don’t actually put this in your car. That’s on you, don’t do that.”
In addition to the launch of Motor Oil, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club recently announced a slate of summer US shows in support of The Cult. The first show, in St. Paul, MN, will be July 8.
About FEW Spirits
A grain-to-glass distillery since 2011, FEW Spirits produces award–winning craft whiskey and gin in a tucked away alley located in the growing Chicago suburb of Evanston, IL, a 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.
Hletko always knew he wanted to make craft spirits —produced in the local Chicago area—
that offered something different, delicious and fun. 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 design, which pays homage to the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago— FEW is the true definition of a local Illinois craft spirit.
FEW Spirits features a refreshing and innovative portfolio including a stable of core spirits and
several small batch limited edition specialty expressions. Each flagship spirit is a new take on the timeless liquors of the past; distilled from the very best grains, aged to perfection, and bottled under the FEW roof. The small batch limited editions hold true to the premium quality FEW drinkers have to come to love and expect from the brand, but offer something novel to the oft-ordinary taste and style we’ve all grown accustomed to.
In a world over saturated with mass-produced spirits, only few remain truly handcrafted, locally
sourced and small-batched. FEW has never strayed from this —even as it grows, Paul and his team continue to provide consistently impeccable spirits that are true to their craft roots and reminiscent of their home base.
About Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
The widely acclaimed California-based band consists of Peter Hayes (vocal, guitar, harmonica), Robert Levon Been (vocal, bass, guitar), and Leah Shapiro (drums) and they’ve been crafting perfectly honed, bluesy, psychedelic garage-rock since 1998. This year marks the 21st anniversary of their acclaimed debut album, B.R.M.C.
Ultimately, the band are survivors during an era where rock’n’roll can often be overshadowed by garish pop and domineering hip-hop. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have learned how to cut out all the noise and concentrate on what matters. Robert Levon Been: “We are truly an island – come hell or high water, so it’s usually best to dress accordingly. Though I’m not sure what the proper attire is when drowning in fire. But leather usually goes with everything.”
For More Information:
https://www.fewspirits.com