FAQs - 2 GINGERS WHISKEY Tastings & Events The PRODUCT 2 GINGERS WHISKEY is faithfully distilled at the Kilbeggan Distillery Cmpany (frmerly Clley Distillery) an hur utside f Dublin, Ireland, and currently available nly in Minnesta. It is the new, award-winning whiskey that appeals t spirits enthusiasts and casual drinkers alike. 2 GINGERS is distilled twice and aged fur years. Hw lng is 2 GINGERS aged? What des that mean? By law, an Irish whiskey must be aged a minimum f three years. 2 GINGERS is aged fur years, which helps t give 2 GINGERS its deliciusly smth finish. The age f a whiskey refers t the age f the yungest part f the blend; sme percentage f the blend may be aged mre than the number f years stated n the bttle. 2 GINGERS is aged fur years. Why is 2 GINGERS duble-distilled? Distillatin is the prcess by which an alchl is purified. Each rund f distillatin lessens the intensity f the flavr in the spirit. The fact that 2 GINGERS is distilled nly twice allws fr a higher cncentratin f flavr than ther Irish whiskeys (which are distilled three times). 2 GINGERS Duble-distillatin versus triple-distillatin des nt affect the alchl cntent f the prduct. S this is ginger-flavred whiskey? S this is a pre-mixed ccktail? N, 2 GINGERS des nt have any ginger flavring, r infusin r any ther added ingredients. 2 GINGERS is a straight Irish whiskey. Is 2 GINGERS single-malt r a blend? 2 GINGERS is a blended whiskey. It is made up f bth malt and grain whiskeys, which are cmbined at the time f prcessing and bttling. 2 GINGERS is aged in burbn barrel surced frm Heaven Hill in Kentucky. Is 2 GINGERS pt-stilled r clumn-stilled whiskey? There are bth pt-stilled and clumn-stilled whiskey parts in the 2 GINGERS blend. The malt whiskey is distilled in traditinal cpper ptstills, while the grain whiskey is distilled in clumn stills. Bth cmpnents are cmbined at the time f bttling t make ur unique blend. What is the alchl cntent f 2 GINGERS? 2 GINGERS is 40% alchl by vlume (ABV), r 80-prf. This is the same as mst Irish whiskeys as well as the mst ppular rums and vdkas.
The STORY 2 GINGERS WHISKEY is a prduct f the drive t make a g f a gd idea. Inspired by his mther and aunt (whse faces are n the 2 GINGERS bttle) and by the high vlume f Irish whiskey sld in Minnesta, Kieran decided t make his wn blend. Fur mnths after the release f 2 GINGERS in a few Irish pubs in twn (frmerly wned by Kieran), it was getting such a great respnse that we decided t split frm the pub business and launch the new brand statewide. Our mtt here at 2 GINGERS captures the curius, entrepreneurial spirit that mves us frward: Bring Yur Own Luck! Hw did 2 GINGERS get its start? Kieran used t wn fur Irish pubs in twn. Because he sld s much Irish whiskey and because he culdn t resist making a g f a gd idea, he decided t create his wn brand, called 2 GINGERS. Five mnths after 2 GINGERS was launched in his frmer pubs, it had been s wellreceived that Kieran decided t g int the whiskey business full-time. By law, Kieran was required t sell his shares in Cara Irish Pubs (the cmpany that wns The Lcal, Kieran s, Cper, and The Liffey) t launch 2 GINGERS state-wide in Minnesta. Why the name 2 GINGERS? The tw gingers are Mary and Delia Kieran s red-headed mther and aunt, the tw wmen featured n the seal n the bttle. The name is als a nd t the ccktails Big Ginger and Skinny Ginger. Wh is Kieran? Kieran Flliard mved t Minnesta frm Ireland in 1987. In 1993 he launched Kieran s Irish Pub in Minneaplis. Eventually the business grew t include 3 ther lcatins: The Lcal, The Liffey, and Cper. Kieran sld his interest in these 4 pubs in July 2011, in rder t launch 2 GINGERS as required by law and Kieran is well-knwn and well-lved arund Minnesta. His energy and enthusiasm has helped t drive 2 GINGERS t where it is tday. Hw is 2 GINGERS a lcal cmpany if it is distilled in Ireland? 2 GINGERS is headquartered in Nrtheast Minneaplis and nly available in the state f Minnesta. By law, all Irish whiskeys must be distilled in Ireland and aged at least three years. Again, 2 GINGERS is aged fur years. Fr the limited release f ur Funder s Editin bttles in Nvember 2011, we did bttle the whiskey in Princetn, MN; That was the same blend and was distilled by the same methd at Cley Distillery in Ireland. Nw, all bttling and packaging is dne at the distillery in Ireland befre being shipped t Minnesta.
Where is yur cmpany lcated? 2 GINGERS is based ut f a 1100 sq. ft ffice in Nrtheast Minneaplis. We have seven full-time emplyees and a fantastic grup f part-time, independent cntractrs t act as brand ambassadrs. Is 2 GINGERS available in ther states? Currently 2 GINGERS is nly available in Minnesta. Our gal is t becme the number ne selling Irish whiskey in the state befre we expand. Is 2 GINGERS nly available in the metr area? As f January 23 rd, 2012, 2 GINGERS became available statewide. Bars, restaurants, and liqur stres can rder 2 GINGERS thrugh any distributr in Minnesta. As f Nvember, we are available in abut 1100 n-premise lcatins and ver 900 ff-premise lcatins. Frm Rchester t Ely, Mrhead t St. Clud, yu can find 2 GINGERS all ver the state. Where is Kilbeggan Distillery Cmpany? The distillery is lcated in Cunty Luth, Ireland, abut halfway between Dublin and Belfast. Specifically, the distillery is lcated n the Eastern cast f Ireland, nrth f Dublin, in the Cley Muntains. Wh wns the Kilbeggan Distillery Cmpany? The Cley distillery (nw Kilbeggan Distillery Cmpany) was purchased by Beam, Inc., the makers f Jim Beam. They are the largest sellers f Whiskey in the U.S. but until this recent purchase did nt have any Irish whiskeys. I heard abut yur lawsuit. What happened? 2 GINGERS filed suit against the makers and distributrs f Jamesn Irish Whiskey fr trademark infringement. The lawsuit was amicably settled in February f 2012, and that is all we re legally allwed t say. We still have trademark rights t ur Big Ginger and Skinny Ginger ccktails. Was the Big Ginger riginally made with a different Irish whiskey? 2 GINGERS funder Kieran Flliard has always wned the trademark t Big Ginger. 2 GINGERS Whiskey was develped as a stand-alne spirit, and was als distilled with the Big Ginger recipe and a general mixability in mind. In fact, sme say that 2 GINGERS actually refers t the Big Ginger and Skinny Ginger ccktails, as well as being a nd t the red-headed mther and aunt f ur funder. The fact that 2 GINGERS is distilled nly twice allws fr its flavr t cme thrugh in any ccktail. The NEXT CHAPTER In December f 2012, Beam Inc. acquired the 2 GINGERS brand, Big Ginger, Skinny Ginger, and Wee Ginger trademarks. 2 GINGERS Irish Whiskey will cntinue t be distilled, bttled, and labeled at Kilbeggan (frmerly called the Cley Distillery), and 2 GINGERS will jin the Kilbeggan family f
Irish Whiskeys, alng with ther Beam-wned brands: Kilbeggan, Tyrcnnell, Cnnemara, and Greenre. Hw has Kieran s rle changed? Kieran will cntinue t be based ut f Nrtheast Minneaplis and will head up the natinal expansin f the Kilbeggan family f Irish Whiskeys, including 2 GINGERS as the funder f 2 GINGERS Irish Whiskey and Chief Operatins Officer f Kilbeggan Distillery Cmpany. Why did yu merge with Beam Inc.? We had an pprtunity t partner with Beam t help expand 2 GINGERS Whiskey utside Minnesta. We nw have a chance fr grwth that a small cmpany wuld need decades t attempt; Beam s resurces alng with ur brand recgnitin in Minnesta can mean greater results fr expansin. Beam is a highly regarded, American-wned cmpany that will build n the success f 2 GINGERS and launch it natinwide with a strng infrastructure. Will the whiskey change? Abslutely nthing will change abut 2 GINGERS. The recipe and prductin prcess fr 2 GINGERS remains as is. Des this mean 2 GINGERS will be available utside f Minnesta? Abslutely! We are nw equipped t expand bth 2 GINGERS and its signature Big Ginger ccktail natinally. The next states t see 2 GINGERS will be Wiscnsin, Iwa, Nrth Dakta and Suth Dakta, Nebraska, and Illinis. Has yur missin changed? Our missin remains: t encurage peple t mve frward with their ideas. This pprtunity t becme part f the Kilbeggan family f Irish whiskeys demnstrates that sentiment by allwing 2 GINGERS t mve ahead. Furthermre, Beam s glbal resurces can help create brand recgnitin and grwth that wuld take much mre time and many mre resurces than had been available within ur small cmpany. Will the price change because f the sale? N. Currently, we have n plans t change the price f 2 GINGERS. What will change? Nthing. 2 GINGERS will be the same in every way, and we remain grateful fr all the wnderful supprt and pprtunity nw t grw. Hw lng was Kieran planning this transitin fr 2 GINGERS? Why nw? Kieran and the 2 GINGERS team have been wrking in limited but cperative capacity with Beam since Beam Inc. purchased the Cley Distillery (nw Kilbeggan Distillery Cmpany) in January 2012. The tw brands have bth been fcused n grwing the Irish whiskey categry and 2 GINGERS, but the merge with Beam Inc. happened nly recently. Thanks t tremendus supprt frm the trade industry and cnsumers in Minnesta, 2 GINGERS has becme the fastest grwing Irish whiskey in the state. This, cmbined with the fact that Irish whiskey is the fastest
grwing categry in the U.S., inspired us t mve t simultaneusly grw ur brand and the categry. What abut the gal t becme the #1 selling Irish whiskey in MN befre expanding? Currently, 2 GINGERS is the secnd best selling Irish whiskey brand in Minnesta. We still strive fr #1, and believe we can achieve this in 2013 with the help f Beam and ur valued lcal fllwing in Minnesta. Beam shares and supprts ur gal. Is Kieran still planning t buy the new building fr the 2 GINGERS ffices? Yes, Kieran is still purchasing the 1401 Marshall Ave building, which will huse 2 GINGERS ffices fr the transitin perid as well as Mike Phillips meat cmpany, and ptentially ther lcally prduced cnsumer gds. Will 2 GINGERS still be headquartered in Minneaplis? Kieran will still be based ut f Minneaplis, where he will lead the natinal expansin f 2 GINGERS and the Kilbeggan brands. Beam Inc., wners f the Kilbeggan Irish whiskey prtfli, is headquartered in Deerfield, IL. Was 2 GINGERS nt successful enugh t sustain? 2 GINGERS is heading twards 20,000 cases sld in 2012 with 2100 accunts in less than ne year in business. In rder t achieve expansin t ther states, hwever, the supprt frm Beam is integral and frtunate news t us. It is ur sales vlume and brand grwth that has allwed us t get t this next level. Is Kieran planning t pen anther restaurant? N. Kieran will still be wrking full time t grw 2 GINGERS and the Kilbeggan family f Irish whiskeys. He s very excited fr the next leg f the jurney fr the brands, and t be able t cntinue t be based ut f Minneaplis. What will happen t the 2 GINGERS pubs at Target Field? Other partnerships? The 2 GINGERS pubs at Target Field will remain. 2 GINGERS will cntinue t supprt the Twins brand and team, hnr cmmitments, and wrk with many lcal partners in Minnesta wh have supprted ur brand and been a big part f ur rapid grwth. What des this mean fr the staff at 2 GINGERS? The current staff will be an integral part f the transitin and will cntinue t wrk with Kieran in sme capacity int the future, bth in supprt f 2 GINGERS and n ther prjects.