Our goal with charity support is to bring more than our fee. This is not a free service but it’s one that we strive to ensure pays for itself, especially through auction items, sponsored Bourbon tastings or experiences that either increase ticket sales or overall ticket price.
We know the ins and outs of which distilleries are interested in participating in what types of activities and making sure everything is beneficial for all involved. It’s a little more complicated than just calling a distillery up and asking for some Bourbon which is why this is a service.
Each charity event is unique and is priced accordingly. For some events, a single distillery participating and pouring samples is sufficient while other events are built as Bourbon-themed fundraisers from the ground up. Additionally, various licenses are required based on the type of sales or service of alcohol, location, venue, etc. which have to be taken into consideration. Events outside of Kentucky have special restrictions and other considerations that make them more complicated.
Distilled Living provides consulting services for any level of Bourbon integration with charity events and we offer a one hour free meeting (in person or phone) to get to know you, your organization and your event to see how our services can best provide value for you.
Please note that the majority of the distilleries have donations review committees which only meet every month or every other month. As a result, standard lead times for auction item donations are 3-4 months or longer and distillery participation is typically 6-9 months or longer.
A selection of charity events & clients:
• RunTheBluegrass 2016 supporting Lexenomics • “Bourbon School”
• RunTheBluegrass 2017 supporting Lexenomics • “Horses & Bourbon School” & “0.1 – I walked to the bar”
• CASA of Lexington • “Bourbon Bayou”
• Hospice of the Bluegrass • ”Bundle up with Bourbon & Blues”
• Supplies Overseas Louisville • “Bourbon & Band aids” 2017 & 2018
• Lake Cumberland Performing Arts • “Derby Eve Gala”
• Keeneland Concourse D’elegance supporting the Kentucky Children’s Hospital • “Concourse Bash, Party like it’s 1933!”
• Nonprofit trade association • American Association of Meat Processors convention (members only event)
• Southeastern Theater conference • “Bourbon & Brew mixer” (private event)
• Bluegrass Sports Commission • Fayette County Fair “Bourbon Experience”
• Jarrett’s Joycart • “20th Anniversary Celebration”
• ABLE – Assisting Better Living Everywhere • DelectABLE Bourbon Charity Dinner 2017 & 2018
Typical services for charities:
- Guided Bourbon Tastings or MC for a larger groups
- Distillery Relations
- Bourbon Celebrity Talent acquisition
- Sponsorship & donation acquisition (primarily bourbon)
- Custom cocktail creation
- Fundraising assistance
- Full Event Management
- Partial Event Management
- Marketing & branding support through our partner, Fascination Design
3 • Charity Event FAQ
The short answer: Probably not.
The long answer: Distilled Living works with charities providing distillery relations services. Sometimes we can secure bottle or other auction items donations, sponsored Bourbon tastings or other charity support. However, rare Bourbon are rare because they’re rare. Every charity would like to have one but very few rare Bourbons are ever donated by the distilleries themselves. We do not provide Bourbons from our own collection (it’s all opened bottles anyway!) nor do we solicit donations from other individual collections. Because everyone is asking is for rare bottles, they’re very hard to find.
We do not have standard pricing for individual activities like auction item donations.
Pricing is based on scope and scale of the task, what the timeline is, what distilleries are requested from and any other beverage alcohol related functions of the event.
Sometimes it’s a percentage of monies raised from sourced auction items, other times it may be a flat fee or part of a larger consulting package.
Yes! Like our other charity services, presentations are offered at a fee but again we strive to create value greater than the fee. Specific pricing is based on type and size of event and time of year, plus any secondary requested services like sourcing in-kind donations for the Bourbon to be poured.
The majority of the distilleries have donations review committees which only meet every month or every other month. As a result, standard lead times for auction item donations are 3-4 months or longer and distillery participation is typically 6-9 months or longer.
To learn how Distilled Living can assist your charity or fundraising efforts, please fill in the form below: