In such a crowded bourbon market why do you think you stand out?
Elijah Craig continues to stand apart from competitors thanks to a combination of authentic storytelling, uncompromising craftsmanship, and a track record of quality recognised by both connoisseurs and casual drinkers alike.
Our legacy as the “Father of Bourbon” isn’t just a marketing phrase it’s a foundational entrepreneurial narrative that informs everything we do, from our commitment to traditional methods to our approach to consumer engagement.
How are you using that history and tradition to keep the brand fresh and different to existing and potential customers?
Adding Kentucky limestone water to the mashbill is key to the fermentation process for Elijah Craig
Reverend Elijah Craig is credited with the use of charred oak barrels in whiskey aging – a technique that imparts the rich colour and complex flavours characteristic of bourbon. This foundational innovation continues to influence our approach to crafting exceptional spirits.
To honour this heritage while appealing to contemporary palates, we have expanded our portfolio with offerings that centre around the power of the barrel like Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel. These expressions begin with our fully matured small batch bourbon and rye, respectively, and are then finished in custom-toasted new oak barrels.
The toasting process enhances the whiskey's flavour profile, introducing notes of baking spices, chocolate, and toasted oak in the Bourbon, and crème brûlée, almonds, and hazelnuts in the rye. This innovative approach pays homage to Elijah Craig's original methods while delivering unique tasting experiences for modern consumers.
Our commitment to tradition and innovation has not gone unnoticed. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C923 was named "American Whiskey of the Year" at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, a testament to our dedication to quality and craftsmanship.
This uncut, unfiltered bourbon offers a bold and intense flavour profile, reflecting the robust character that has become synonymous with our brand.
By continually exploring new expressions and refining our techniques, Elijah Craig remains at the forefront of the bourbon industry. We strive to honour our storied past while embracing the future, ensuring that both longtime enthusiasts and new consumers can appreciate the depth and complexity of our spirits.
From a consumer communications perspective the brand’s key campaign is called ‘Greatness Within’. This carries double meaning – both for the greatness within all of us, that we can all strive and achieve great things with grit and perseverance (like Elijah Craig himself) as well as the greatness within the liquid itself.
What key developments have you made with the brand and the distillery over the last five years?
The Elijah Craig range
Over the past five years, we've significantly broadened our portfolio to cater to both traditional Bourbon enthusiasts and those seeking novel expressions. These include:
- Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel: This expression begins with our fully matured Small Batch Bourbon, which is then finished in custom-toasted new oak barrels. The result is a rich, layered bourbon with notes of baking spices, chocolate, and toasted oak, offering a unique twist on our classic profile. Due to its distinctive flavour profile, it can be used to create discernible twists on classics or used as an after dinner/dessert pour. We launched this in the UK in November.
- Limited-edition releases: In celebration of our partnership with major golf events, we introduced a special bottling this summer - Elijah Craig Ryder Cup Edition. As the Official Bourbon of the Ryder Cup, we've released exclusive bottlings that capture the spirit of this prestigious event, blending our rich heritage with the world of golf.
The past five years have marked an exciting chapter for the UK, with rapid brand growth and rising awareness. This momentum has been fuelled by standout campaigns in the US – anchored in linear TV, streaming, social, and out-of-home – that are now making their way across the Atlantic.
The launch of Old Fashioned Week in 2025 made a bold first impression, setting the stage for even more impactful moments to come.
What flavour characteristics and style of bourbon distinguishes you from your competitive set?
All the core ingredients and elements that go into making Elijah Craig bourbon
Elijah Craig Small Batch is known for its rich, full-bodied profile – caramel, vanilla, and baking spices balanced with a lingering, smoky warmth from barrel char. The use of rye as the secondary flavouring grain in the mashbill introduces complexity and spice that sets us apart from softer, wheated bourbons.
This makes Elijah Craig an approachable yet sophisticated pour for both new drinkers and seasoned fans.
What do you see as the key driving forces behind the bourbon market?
The shared appreciation for a sense of place and a tie to history and doing things the old-fashioned way. The bourbon making process essentially hasn’t changed in 250 years. We use local corn and other secondary flavouring grains, local water and American oak barrels and let mother nature take the helm from there. There is an appreciation for the time it takes to age the whiskey before it starts to mature into the rich spirit we all want to drink.
Bourbon is a natural exploration space for global Scotch drinkers accustomed to the taste profiles of a barrel-aged spirit. Bourbon is a bit more unpretentious from a packaging and advertising perspective, so there is an approachability there that coincides with a sweeter, easy drinking profile we think is a driving force.
How are you looking to maximise those driving forces to push the brand forward?
Bryan Fallon is proud of how Elijah Craig continues to evolve and respond to the market
Elijah Craig has the historical bonafide that no other bourbon brand can claim – without Elijah Craig the category wouldn’t exist, so we aim to maximise on this as a driver for the brand as the popularity of all bourbon increases along with the emphasis on growth from competitors.
When it comes to category exploration and converting new consumers or current Scotch drinkers, Elijah Craig has a full range of options to try from the core Small Batch, to Toasted Barrel options, to Barrel Proof releases with differing ABV’s and 18-year-old as the capstone.
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the bourbon category and how are you overcoming them?
Global craft cocktail culture started reaching a critical mass in the mid-2000s. There was a discovery of classic cocktails from 19th century cocktail books containing recipes that used bourbon and American Whiskey that spurred on the openings of countless bars focused on hospitality and the drinks art in a way that had been lost.
Now that we are over twenty years past that, it’s not as new anymore. So it’s up to all of us as an industry to reignite the flame and continue to push the boundaries.
One way we see progress here in the highest end establishments is by treating drinks with the same level of precision as Michelin starred restaurants do their food. This is where we see trends like clarified cocktails, fat-washed spirits, and smoked drinks coming to the on premise and trickling down to more everyday bars.
We need to be able to show Elijah Craig’s versatility within these trends to continue to grow.
At home, consumers upped the ante with their cocktail making prowess during the pandemic lockdowns, which is an exciting opportunity to encourage the making of the classics at home with bourbon. There is a lot of satisfaction in being able to craft a perfect Old Fashioned or Manhattan and play with different modifiers.
You have a close partnership with golf and the Ryder Cup - can you explain what that is and why you wanted to team up with golf as a sport?
Elijah Craig was the official bourbon of the Ryder Cup as well as its partnership with PGA of America
Our partnership with golf, particularly as the Official Bourbon of the Ryder Cup, was born from a shared appreciation for tradition, patience, and excellence. Like Bourbon, golf is a lifelong pursuit of self-improvement, precision and enjoyment.
We saw an authentic overlap between Elijah Craig drinkers and golf enthusiasts, making it a natural fit. Our market research shows golf fans are over two times as likely to consume bourbon versus all other legal drinking age adults.
Golf has become a centre point of the cultural zeitgeist, with celebrities from ranging from rappers to celebrity chefs and apparel brand releasing golf capsules. With so much attention on the sport, having legitimising connections to the game through partnerships with some of the world’s best players in Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre and American J.T. Poston cements Elijah Craig as a spirit choice consumers can feel proud choosing.
Through this partnership, we bring the Elijah Craig experience to premium hospitality moments both on and off the course. You can find it served as a sipping whiskey and in traditional cocktails, as well as used in lighter, more refreshing seasonal cocktails that are perfect for enjoying on the golf course.
What is your export strategy versus domestic sales and where are you seeing the most growth?
Elijah Craig works with Proof Drinks in the UK to promote the brand with top bars and leading retailers
Domestic sales is still the lion’s share of our business, but we are investing heavily in organisational infrastructure to win in key markets around the world as well as in global travel retail, which has the ability to introduce your brand to a global traveller who then brings that taste back to their home market.
This strategy is working, as our export growth is very strong. We always like to joke that if right now one out of every 10 times a consumer asks a bartender for a whiskey they get bourbon over a scotch, what would it look like if it was two out of every 10. Our business would double.
How do you see the bourbon category in the UK - and how different is it from other key export markets?
The bourbon category in the UK exhibits several distinct characteristics when compared to other international markets outside the US, largely influenced by historical context, consumer preferences, and regulatory frameworks.
The UK is the home of Scotch whisky, which historically has dominated the spirit’s market. This means bourbon faces a deeply entrenched competitor with a strong cultural identity.
UK consumers are highly accustomed to Scotch's diverse flavour profiles and ageing statements, which influences their perception and expectations of other whiskies, including bourbon. There's a strong appreciation for age and provenance in the UK, like Scotch.
The UK has seen a "Bourbon Boom" in recent years, driven by factors like its versatility in cocktails, its sweet and smooth taste profile.
What has been the most successful way for you to work in the UK in terms of distribution. listings and getting new customers?
The UK is a crucial market for Heaven Hill's global strategy, making our choice of distributor incredibly important. We're thrilled to partner with Proof Drinks, given their proven success in both the on-trade and off-trade. This partnership allows us to invest more deeply in understanding our UK customers, ensuring we're not just broadly distributing, but truly connecting with the market.
Any specific UK marketing plans in the next few months?
We are working on plans for 2026 at the moment but have just completed in October the return of ‘Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week’ where we were able to work with our on-trade partners to champion the Old Fashioned serve, simultaneously generating funds for The Drinks Trust charity. Further information regarding this initiative can be found at oldfashionedweek.com.
What do you see as the big untapped potential for bourbon in the next five years - both in terms of styles/ distilling methods/sales and new markets?
As UK consumers continue to discover bourbon's diverse styles and incredible versatility, we anticipate an ever-growing appreciation and understanding of the category. This will fuel continued growth in both neat pours and cocktail consumption.
The demand for high-end, limited-edition, and age-stated bourbons already far exceeds supply, making strategic investments in longer aging and collectible releases key to driving significant value. The ‘allocated bottle’ phenomenon clearly demonstrates this intense consumer desire. Furthermore, as consumers increasingly prioritise sustainability, distilleries that can demonstrate environmentally and socially conscious practices - something Heaven Hill takes great pride in - will gain a significant competitive edge.
* You can find out more about Elijah Craig and its bourbon brands here.
