Bars are often the only places you'll find Pappy and other Van Winkle whiskeys, like Warren American Whiskey Kitchen in Delray Beach, Florida, pictured here. Photo: Pier G
Buy a Single Barrel of Van Winkle Family Reserve 15, for a Good Cause
February 12, 2025 –––––– Julia Higgins
Savage wildfires have wreaked havoc on the Greater Los Angeles Area this year, prompting companies across all industries to leap into charitable action. Sazerac Co., which owns Buffalo Trace Distillery, is doing its part with a California wildlfire charity program, wherein 100% of proceeds will benefit two nonprofit organizations operating on the frontlines of the disaster: the Jose Andres-led World Central Kitchen, which provides fresh meals to first responders and families, and Another Round Another Rally, an educational resource for members of the hospitality industry that also supplies emergency assistance to industry personnel. As part of the program, Sazerac is offering three distinct prize packages, each featuring Buffalo Trace Distillery’s most sought-after whiskeys.
The first prize is available via silent auction, and for Pappy fans, it’s a big one—the first-ever single barrel of Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 year old bourbon available for purchase. A bottle of Pappy 15 year old carries a suggested retail price of $200, though that number skyrockets on the secondary market. This single barrel would keep you in good supply for quite some time, given that a barrel typically yields around 125 bottles (making this a roughly $25,000 prize). If you’re interested in making the barrel your own, you can bid as many times as you like, but be aware that bidding increases in increments of $1,000, and that the winner of the auction will receive a monetary prize equal to the value of the lot, which may then be used to purchase the bottles yielded from the barrel, as well as the barrel itself. Also, New York residents aren’t eligible to participate. As of now, the bid is at $349,000, from a base bid of $10,000. The funds raised via auction will be evenly split between World Central Kitchen and Another Round Another Rally.
The remaining two prizes are both from sweepstakes. The first sweepstakes winner will be rewarded with a complete set of the Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Collection, featuring Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade 10 year old bourbon, Old Rip Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 year old bourbon, Old Rip Van Winkle Family Reserve 13 year old rye, and Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15, 20, and 23 year old bourbons. The funds generated by this first sweepstakes will benefit World Central Kitchen. The second sweepstakes revolves around a single bottle of Eagle Rare 25 year old, the single-oldest release in the Eagle Rare lineup and one that went for $23,800 in a recent auction. All proceeds from the Eagle Rare sweepstakes will go toward Another Round Another Rally. In both sweepstakes, entrants will receive one entry for every $50 donation made through the registration site, and you can enter as many times as you wish.
The Sazerac California Wildfire Relief Fundraiser began today at noon and will end in just under two weeks, on Sunday, February 23rd. One winner for each prize package will be drawn at random and notified via phone and email during the week of March 3rd.
