October 14th 2023.
Uncle Nearest, the award-winning Black-owned whiskey brand, is expanding their product line to include cognac. The company has acquired Domaine Saint Martin, a 350-year-old estate located in the French town of Cognac, which was once owned by the Martell family.
Adrian Parker, the company's president, credits Fawn Weaver, Uncle Nearest's founder and CEO, for the company's groundbreaking expansion. “Under Fawn’s guidance and innovative approach, the Uncle Nearest team has created a playbook for independent spirits that has never before been seen,” said Parker.
The company will use the grapes from their vineyards to produce a line of cognacs that will be released in upcoming years. Additionally, they will be making improvements to their vineyards and distillery. Fawn Weaver spoke about the company's expansion, “The Uncle Nearest brand thrives on its profound story of love, honor, respect, and heritage. Our mission in cognac echoes this essence.”
Weaver also discussed the company's unique approach to launching the new cognac brand. “Our brand strategy pivots from the norm. We are unveiling a short film first at several film festivals, then launching the brand,” she said.
The company has yet to reveal the name of their new cognac but plan to announce it to the public in 2024. Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, which pays homage to the world's first-known Black distiller, Nearest Green, has held the title for the most awarded Bourbon and American Whiskey from 2019 to 2022, and has over 900 awards since its launch in 2017.
Located in Shelbyville Tenn, the 432-acre Nearest Green Distillery is now the seventh most visited distillery in the world. In addition to their expansion, the company has also launched an initiative to raise $1 million for underfunded Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
