News Notes: Dalmore Set to Welcome Visitors, Cedar Ridge's New Club, Pappy Sweepstakes & More
March 13, 2026 –––––– Julia Higgins
Next month, Dalmore will once again be open to visitors following a long renovation period, while Iowa distillery Cedar Ridge is launching a new subscription plan to make its whiskeys easier to procure. Meanwhile, starting today, you can shop at the bourbon lifestyle merchant Pappy & Company to become eligible to win a bottle of Van Winkle 12 year old in a sweepstakes whose drawing will take place later this month. These items, and others, are included in this week's News Notes.
The Dalmore Ready to Reopen Its Revamped Visitor Experience
Following a several-year renovation, The Dalmore will reopen its doors to visitors on April 27. All tours and tastings will now be conducted privately, and guests will communicate directly with the distillery to fully personalize their experiences. Those interested in priority access are encouraged to join The Dalmore Guild (it’s free), which will start taking reservations on March 25. Bookings will open to the public beginning March 30th via the distillery’s website. Located in the Northern Highlands, not far from Balblair and Glenmorangie, Dalmore sits along the North Coast 500, one of Scotland’s most scenic travel routes.
How to Win a Signed Bottle of Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Old Bourbon
Pappy & Company, the bourbon lifestyle merchandise brand founded by Pappy Van Winkle’s granddaughters, is offering a bottle of Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 year old bourbon to one lucky winner in its Bourbon for Good sweepstakes. Anyone who purchases $75 or more worth of select merchandise from Pappy & Company from March 13th through March 20th will receive an entry to the sweepstakes. In addition to the bottle, signed by Julian Van Winkle III, the winner will also be invited to a virtual cocktail hour with members of the Van Winkle family and receive a cocktail kit. Bourbon for Good is the philanthropic drive of Pappy & Co. and Van Winkle Family Ventures. Four sweepstakes are held annually, each benefiting a non-profit. This sweepstakes will benefit Kosair for Kids, an organization that enhances the health and well-being of children in Kentucky and southern Indiana.
Speyside Bourbon Cooperage Shuts Down Its Virginia Facility
Ohio-based barrel maker Speyside Bourbon Cooperage is shuttering production at its Smyth County, Virginia facility and laying off 52 employees. The move comes about a year after the same facility announced 75 layoffs, citing the same reason then as now: the bourbon industry slowdown. Layoffs will be effective April 23. Outside of its Smyth County plant, Speyside also has a stave mill in Bath County, Virginia, and facilities in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. The company is a division of Scottish company Speyside Cooperage Ltd., which is owned by French cooperage firm Tonnellerie François Frères Group.—Julia Higgins
Cedar Ridge Launches New Bottle Club
Swisher, Iowa-based Cedar Ridge Distillery has a new subscription plan called the Backpack Bottle Club. The program offers quarterly membership packages ($100) that include specially selected bottles for delivery or pickup at the distillery. Other perks include early access to limited-edition whiskeys, virtual tastings with master blender Murphy Quint, behind-the-scenes content, complimentary pours and tours, and discounts on both merchandise and shipping. Enrollment is open online, with the first bottling—the 2026 batch of The QuintEssential single malt—due to ship mid-April.—Danny Brandon
PawPaw’s Ridge Whiskey Goes Nationwide
PawPaw’s Ridge, the whiskey brand founded by the Nethery family behind Jeptha Creed Distillery, has expanded its availability following a limited on-premise launch in Florida late last year. The label’s flagship bourbon—its first and only release to date—is now available online with shipping to over 40 states. The brand is also planning to further expand its retail presence, which currently includes Kentucky, Illinois, and other markets.—Danny Brandon
Rotten Little Bastard Goes Bankrupt
Beaufort, South Carolina craft producer Rotten Little Bastard (RLB) Distillery has moved to liquidate its business via Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The proceedings, which were voluntarily filed on March 10th, outline that the distillery owed $395,265 to a group of creditors, including United Community Bank, American Express, Aqua Finance, Dominion Energy, and others. The distillery’s total assets were estimated at $152,554, with the majority of that figure comprising inventory (1 rum barrel, 24 bourbon barrels, and 3 American whiskey barrels alongside unsold bottles and merchandise) and production equipment.
RLB Distillery was founded in 2020 by husband-and-wife Brian and Brigid Fackrell, who were inspired to distill after watching the television show "Moonshiners." The operation produced bourbon under the Coosa Cut label, American whiskey aged in refill barrels, rum, and vodka. The distillery got off to a turbulent start, with the pandemic disrupting visits and local sales, but the business was thought to have leveled out in the intervening years. Last year, Brian suffered a stroke, which Brigid says wasn’t debilitating but still impacted his abilities. Brigid confirmed in a statement that the pair tried to sell the business after that, but the current state of the industry prevented them from finding a suitable buyer.—Danny Brandon
