Heritage Distilling Co. of Gig Harbor, Washington, announced its partnerships with The Honor Foundation and the HunterSeven Foundation, marking a significant expansion of HDC’s Special Operations Salute (“SOS”) whiskey program to provide increased support to military and first responder communities.
Created in November 2023, HDC has focused on creating a new whiskey series dedicated to specifically supporting active duty and retired military members, first responders and their families who serve in the Special Operations and First Responder communities by allocating a portion of sales to select non-profit organizations dedicated to helping this large community.
Since the program’s inception in November 2023, over $60,000 has been raised for partner charities through the sale of nearly 6,000 bottles. At 105 proof, the “Howitzer Strength” whiskey, priced at $125, allocates a portion of proceeds from each sale to nonprofit organizations.
What started as a limited fundraising bottling run initiated through a collaboration with the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord eight years ago has now evolved into a nationwide initiative. The new SOS series will feature several editions, each dedicated to Special Operations units within a branch of service and first responders, including Army SOF, Naval Special Warfare, Air Force Special Operations and more. The entire series is available at www.heritagedistilling.com.
“For nearly a decade, Heritage Distilling has demonstrated unwavering support for our military heroes and their families. Through our 1st Special Forces whiskey edition, we’ve raised nearly $150,000 for Special Forces-related charities local to Joint Base Lewis-McChord,” said Drew Kellerman, Heritage Distilling co-founder and former Airborne and Ranger-qualified Army Infantry officer. “With the expansion of our mission through Special Operations Salute, we pay homage to the operators on the ground, past servicemen and women, and their families, who have made immense sacrifices for the freedoms we cherish.”
“The HunterSeven Foundation is both honored and humbled to work with Heritage Distilling Company to better serve America’s heroes as we work to assist veterans facing critical health issues resulting from post-9/11 exposure to chemicals. Their unique approach to partnering with non-profit organizations through the sale of this super-premium whiskey is an easy way for us to connect with our supporters and patrons as our team of veterans and medical providers forge ahead treating our heroes”, said Chelsey Simoni, Executive Director of the HunterSeven Foundation. “Patrons who buy this product will be directly supporting our efforts.”
“The generous support we receive from the Special Operations Salute Whiskey by Heritage Distilling Co. extends far beyond financial assistance to the Honor Foundation. It represents a commitment to support our efforts to help SOF veterans transition from military life to civilian careers,“ said Matt Stevens, CEO of The Honor Foundation.
The current release of the Army SOF edition is a masterful blend of two 6-year-old bourbons and a 7-year rye whiskey, all meticulously crafted in-house by HDC. Future editions will feature their own unique mash bills, ensuring a diverse and compelling offering for whiskey enthusiasts.
HDC’s CEO, Justin Stiefel, said, “Through the success and learnings of nearly a decade of our initial partnership supporting the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), we have demonstrated our credibility in this area. We know we have the ability to do more, and because of that, we now have the responsibility to do more. We are expanding this effort to support these brave men and women who take on the toughest tasks and sacrifice the most for freedom-loving people everywhere. We are humbled by the trust these new partners at The Honor Foundation and the HunterSeven Foundation have placed in us as we try to do more for our nation’s heroes.”
HDC is also collaborating with the Green Beret Foundation, Special Forces Association Chapter 16, The Foundation for Exceptional Warriors (The FEW), Idaho BackCountry Veterans, Camp Benesi, and the Marine Raider Foundation for a future special release. Non-profit organizations interested in raising funds for their own organizations through the program can complete an intake form on the Special Operations Salute webpage.
Each premium bottle of the Army SOF edition comes enclosed in custom tubes and features a newly commissioned lithograph drawing by the world-renowned artist and veteran, Michael Solovey, whose powerful imagery resonates deeply with the military community.
For more information and to purchase the Special Operations Salute Whiskeys and Heritage’s other award-winning spirits, visit heritagedistilling.com.