MODESTO, Calif., July 27, 2022 — Spirit of Gallo, the #4 spirits supplier in the USA by volume, announced today that it has entered the American Whiskey category by making a strategic investment in Horse Soldier Bourbon brand and effective immediately will begin distributing the brand in the United States.
Horse Soldier Bourbon was founded in 2016 by John Koko, Elizabeth Pritchard-Koko, Scott Neil, and key retired members of the hand-selected detachment of Green Berets from the 5th Special Forces Group who were the first to enter Afghanistan on horseback weeks following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This brave and unconventional act earned them the moniker of “Horse Soldiers,” and their story was told in the 2018 action-drama film “12 Strong.”
Horse Soldier is available in 17 U.S. states and is currently the #8 selling Ultra-Premium Bourbon, outpacing all its competitors in the $40+ pricing category with +97% growth in dollars leading into the summer*. Earlier in 2022, Horse Soldier Bourbon achieved Double Gold Medal Awards at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition across all its expressions.
“Today marks an important date in Gallo company history as Spirit of Gallo enters the large and rapidly growing American Whiskey category. Horse Soldier Bourbon has built an extremely loyal consumer following and will allow us the opportunity to serve our partners and customers in new and exciting ways,” said Britt West, Sr. Vice President and General Manager for Spirit of Gallo. “The addition of Horse Soldier Bourbon Whiskey to our portfolio is a true honor that represents an alignment of family values, legacies and pioneering spirits. We look forward to continuing to work with the entire Horse Soldier team to unlock the full potential of this award-winning bourbon as we continue to share its legendary story and expand both visibility and availability across United States,” he adds.
“We have built Horse Soldier Bourbon on true American values. It’s these same values that represent this ideal alignment between Horse Soldier Bourbon and Spirit of Gallo,” said John Koko, CEO & Chairman of Horse Soldier Bourbon. He continued, “From the hills of Afghanistan to the valleys of Somerset Kentucky, we’ve learned that you are only as good as the company you keep, and we are proud of this new partnership. It positions us for unprecedented growth and preserves our legacy through the best-in-class capabilities and commitment that the entire Spirit of Gallo organization brings to consumers across the country.”
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
(*Based on 16-week IRI/MULO data ending 6/11/2022)
Horse Soldier Bourbon is an authentic, all-American, award-winning, ultra-premium bourbon brand that is hand-crafted with a true sense of integrity, authenticity, and service. It is available in three permanent expressions: Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($49.99*), Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey ($69.99*), and Barrel Strength Bourbon Whiskey ($79.99*), all of which achieved Double Gold Medals at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Horse Soldier is sold in stores across 17 states with plans to go nationwide. To learn more, visit www.horsesoldierbourbon.com. *Suggested retail price.
For nearly a half a century, the Gallo family has been growing its portfolio of spirits brands. Spirit of Gallo’s mission is to build the next great American spirits company and to meet the changing needs of consumers. Spirit of Gallo represents 24 brands and is now the fourth largest spirits supplier in the United States by volume. Some of the award-winning brands include New Amsterdam Vodka, E & J Brandy, Camarena Tequila, RumChata, Pink Whitney, RumHaven, Stratusphere Gin, and the break-out, spirit-based hard seltzer, High Noon. Additionally, the portfolio contains an impressive list of both owned and imported luxury spirits such as Diplomatico Rum, The Dalmore Single Malt Scotch, Germain-Robin Brandy, Amaro Montenegro, Don Fulano Tequila and Lo-Fi Aperitifs. The entire portfolio is featured on www.spiritofgallo.com.
