‘Tis the season to be jolly means different things for different people, but one common denominator in bringing in Christmas joy is seasonal cocktails and spirits. From eggnog to cranberry-infused drinks, the option for a holiday beverage is endless.
Building the base for these drinks starts with solid liquor, and Black-owned whiskey brand Uncle Nearest’s latest revenue mark proves it is a possible choice for all to enjoy.
According to a press release, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey announced that its sales exceeded $100 million through October 2022.
“To reach this and every other milestone on our horizon, we continue to push nonstop. Every penny this company has earned has gone back into the business, as well as to put Nearest Green’s college-age descendants through college and to invest in minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs through our Black Business Booster program (BBB), the Nearest and Jack Advancement Initiative (NJAI) and Uncle Nearest Ventures,” CEO Fawn Weaver explained.
The brand was founded in 2017 with executive connections to Victoria Eady Butler, the great-great-granddaughter of Nearest Green — the company’s namesake.
Last year, the company was honored as the best-selling Black-owned and led spirit brand in U.S. History.
“For the longest time, folks were sitting around waiting for us to fail. First, they underestimated us; then, they expected us to fail. I guess they do that with independent companies owned by women or people of color. Well, more than five years into this level of growth, y’all can stop waiting. We are not a fad or some trendy brand – we are a purpose-driven, mission-oriented company. Uncle Nearest and Nearest Green Distillery aren’t just here to stay but to grow and sustain at a pace never seen before in our industry,” Butler said.
Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey has seven different offerings at its Shelbyville, TN, distillery, which expanded and opened on Juneteenth in 2021.
Additionally, Black Friday 2022 marked the release of the brand’s anticipated Single Barrel Black Label.
The result? It sold out “immediately,” according to the press release.
As for what’s next, Uncle Nearest is projected to double its sales by 2023.
