Heaven Hill Distillery, one of the world’s leading distilleries of Kentucky Bourbon, recently won the ‘Distiller of the Year’ award at the ‘Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky Awards’.

To commemorate the occasion and strengthen its market presence in India, Heaven Hill partnered with Aspri Spirits, India’s leading importer, marketer and distributor of international spirits, wines and beers, to successfully conduct bar takeovers across multiple Indian cities.

Award-winning mixologist, brand educator and Ambassador of Heaven Hill Distillery, Benji Purslow, visited Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi for the bar takeover sessions, which were a huge hit among the audience.

The sessions presented the perfect opportunity for Indian consumers to get to know about Heaven Hill and its flagship products such as Evan Williams Bourbon whiskey, Elijah Craig and Burnett’s London dry gin to name a few.

Speaking about his India visit, Benji beamed: “It was an absolute delight to come to India and showcase the wide range of spirits that Heaven Hill has to offer. Over the years, the Indian audience has considerably evolved in terms of experimenting with different kinds of flavours and I was happy to provide them with drinks like Evan Highball, Evan Manhattan, the Kentucky Buck and Boulevardier. These were both new and exciting to their palette.”

Benji was seen interacting with teams of bartenders wherever he went and even provided them with tips and tricks. “This was a great opportunity for our entire team as we got to interact with Benji and learn the nuances of mixing from an international star like him,” said one bartender in Bengaluru.

“His immense knowledge of every aspect of mixology is something to be imbibed. We look forward to more such sessions,” said another bartender in Delhi.

Founded in 1935, Bardstown, Kentucky-based Heaven Hill brands (www.heavenhill.com) is one of America’s largest independent, family-owned spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon.

Its diversified portfolio of brands includes Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Larceny and Henry McKenna Bourbons; Rittenhouse Rye whiskey; Deep Eddy vodka; Admiral Nelson’s rum; Black Velvet Canadian whiskey; Lunazul Tequila; Hpnotiq liqueur; Carolans Irish cream liqueur, plus the newly-acquired Samson & Surrey portfolio.

Through the association with Aspri Spirits, Heaven Hill is looking to create a substantial market presence in India and be a major player in the brown spirits category.

This initiative by Heaven Hill is timed at a moment when India is witnessing a considerable rise in the consumption of brown spirits. A recent study states that India is the largest whiskey consumer in the world. These promising numbers have made the brand very optimistic about its market expansion in India.