Introducing American Honey Sting: A New Ghost Pepper Bourbon Liqueur

07 Oct 2014 --- The latest entry from American Honey will only “Sting” a bit. Rolling out this fall, the original honey Bourbon liqueur, will introduce American Honey Sting — a tantalizing combination of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and pure honey with the kick of one of the world’s hottest chili peppers.

While the Ghost Pepper packs a punch that is 400 times spicier than Tabasco, American Honey Sting perfectly balances the heat with the sweetness of honey for a unique flavor that is unexpectedly smooth. Intended for shot occasions, American Honey Sting hails from the highly-esteemed whiskey brand that revolutionized the honey Bourbon category back in the 1970’s.

Wild Turkey’s Jimmy Russell, the longest-tenured, active Master Distiller in the world says, “I think people are going to get a kick out of how well the heat of the Ghost Peppers goes with the honey flavor. When you take a shot, you get the forward flavor sweetness and citrus of American Honey on your tongue first, followed by the Ghost Pepper that has a subtle heat to it.”

Mr. Russell pioneered the flavored Bourbon category in 1976 with the creation of American Honey (then known as Wild Turkey Honey Liqueur), and paved the way for the explosive growth of this category currently underway in the U.S. market.

Andrew Floor, Campari America Senior Marketing Director, Dark Spirits commented, “With the introduction of Sting, the brand is continuing its legacy as an innovator. Whereas American Honey was originally created in the 1970’s to help Bourbon reach a wider audience, with Sting we’re speaking to a generation of Bourbon-loving legal drinking age Millennials, both men and women, who are looking for new flavors and more spice.”

Foods made with unusually hot peppers are now more popular than ever, with heat-seekers always looking for new ways to feel the burn. According to a report from food and beverage consulting firm Technomic, more than half of consumers (54%) said that hot or spicy foods are appealing, up from 46% in 2009. Their research showed that Millennials expressed the greatest interest in spicy foods.

This limited edition product will be available starting in October and comes in 750ml and 50 ml bottles. A 750 ml bottle will retail for $22.99 (prices vary by state). American Honey recommends serving Sting, which is 71 proof (35.5% ABV), as a chilled shot.