RD1 Spirits has announced a partnership with Blue Ridge Spirits and Wine Marketing for its sales efforts moving forward. RD1 is known for its award-winning portfolio of Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished with unique woods from around the world. Blue Ridge is known for its sales and marketing depth across the country, representing growing brands in the industry.
"RD1 experienced tremendous growth in 2024 from brand awareness and influencer engagement to case sales and product expansion," said Mike Tetterton, chief executive officer of RD1 Spirits. "Our brand has become synonymous with distinct wood-finished bourbon, and we are adding a coast-to-coast sales presence to handle our national footprint."
An entrepreneur like Tetterton, CEO Carlos Carreras founded Blue Ridge in 2015 with just three spirit brands. Today, the company has a diverse portfolio of dynamic high-growth, wine and spirits brands.
"We are confident in the Blue Ridge team to represent our sales efforts, and we look forward to working closely together as we continue to build one of the fastest-growing, Kentucky bourbon brands," Tetterton added.
"We are excited to collaborate with RD1, a brand known for its creativity and innovation," Carreras said. "RD1 produces exceptional whiskies, and we look forward to working closely with them to build on their impressive success."
In 2024, the RD1 portfolio – which grew by 74 percent in case sales year over year – made headlines earning 65 bourbon awards. Highlights include:
RD1 continues to expand its distribution footprint across the country, and its bourbon is not available in 26 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
This coming year will represent a milestone for the RD1 brand with the debut of its expanded brand destination, currently under construction outside downtown Lexington, Ky. Expected to open in spring 2025, RD1 Distillery at The Commons is the anchor tenant of Lexington's new entertainment district – uniting life, work and play – and will more than double the size of RD1's existing Tasting Room and Gift Shop.
The $5-million distillery represents RD1's presence on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and the brand's support of Lexington tourism and the Kentucky bourbon industry. It also serves as the cornerstone for RD1's continued wood exploration led by Jarrad Gollihue, PhD, and RD1's Research and Development Master Distiller.
The brand plans to unveil two, new, wood-finished bourbons nationally in 2025 with additional experimental expressions available to taste at the new distillery, giving visitors an up-close experience of RD1's entrepreneurial "spirit to dare" mantra.
The RD1 and Blue Ridge partnership is now effective. For RD1 and distributor questions, please contact Marc Lohnes with RD1 at MarcL@RD1spirits.com. For Blue Ridge questions, please contact Leah Keggi at Leah@BlueRidgeSpirits.com.