OK with O.K.I.?
An O.K.I. bottle from 2018…sadly, empty.
Six years ago Ken Lewis went from being one of the most successful liquor retailers in the country to the newest distillery owner in the land. In the Spring of 2014, he launched New Riff Distilling and, alongside it, the O.K.I. brand. Lewis’ plan was to source whiskey from MGP to be sold under the O.K.I. label. (For those needing a refresher course: O = loved in Ohio, K = bottled in Kentucky, I = distilled in Indiana).
Lewis seemed to execute his New Riff / O.K.I. plan to perfection. The O.K.I. brand was a hit with consumers. The 8 to 12 year high rye Bourbon flew off shelves and the O.K.I. single barrel program was in strong demand. For the next four years, Lewis maintained remarkable transparency of the purpose of O.K.I. and the plan for New Riff.
There was no confusion about the source, age or mash bill with either of Lewis’s labels. This was refreshing to Bourbon fans as too many brands seemed to try to hide this information from the public. In the Fall of 2018 the last of O.K.I. had been released and the first of New Riff’s bottled-in-bond Bourbon hit the stores. The sun rose on the New Riff era as it set on the days of O.K.I. Or so we thought…
It was announced on April 30 that, in an unexpected move, New Riff had sold the O.K.I. brand name. There seemed to still be value in the name as Bourbon collectors continue to seek out O.K.I. whiskey on the secondary market. O.K.I. bottles these days go for up to six times their original selling price of $50 for small batch and $75 for single barrel picks (for the math-impaired that is $300 and $500, respectively, on the secondary market). So, why sell the brand? It’s really nobody’s business other than Ken Lewis’, but we can still be curious. Did New Riff want some additional capital for a new project? Was it purely economical to sell O.K.I. while there was still recognition in the name? How much did it cost? Why didn’t I think to make an offer on it first? So many questions.
On the buy-side of this transaction are two Cincinnati-based entrepreneurs: Chad Brizendine and Jacob Warm. Brizendine is CEO of a consulting and branding agency called Nontraditional. Warm is CEO of JDL Warm Construction. Brizendine was also a co-founder of George Remus Bourbon (2013) and Warm was an early investor in that venture. George Remus Bourbon was sold to MGP in 2016. The success of the George Remus brand certainly gives credibility to O.K.I.’s ownership group and can help Bourbon fans feel optimistic about what will show up on shelves (though the certain comparisons to the original O.K.I. will be a high standard to meet).
Another connection to Bourbon is with Warm’s construction company. The Seagram’s warehouse (now MGP) was built by Warm’s great-grandfather some 90 years ago.
The new O.K.I. has released a new label design along with initial business plans. According to the press release, O.K.I. will source Bourbon and it will be from the same distiller (MGP) and mash bill (36% rye) as the original O.K.I. The initial releases will be 5-6 year old whiskey at barrel strength and will take place in the Fall of 2020. Barrels will also be set aside for additional aging and the O.K.I. tradition of an active single barrel program will continue.
As we question “why sell?” we also have to question “why buy?”. Why not start a new brand? Is the long-term plan to sell O.K.I. again just as George Remus was sold? Again, we can be curious, but ultimately that’s nobody’s business but Brizendine’s and Warm’s. We will have to wait and see.
The new look of the new O.K.I. (photo from O.K.I. press release)
After the announcement, social media was sizzling with comments spanning the spectrum. Some were borderline giddy that O.K.I. was back. Others were critical that the Bourbon would be aged just 5-6 years as opposed to the 12 year most recently seen from the “old” O.K.I. At any rate, as a branding professional, Brizendine had to be pleased with the buzz his new purchase was creating. I am confident this whiskey will be in high demand upon initial release due to the name on the bottle alone.
If I have any concern, it is with possible consumer confusion. When Jim Rutledge brought back the Cream of Kentucky brand, nobody thought they were buying a whiskey from the 1930s. It’s doubtful that anyone buying Old Crow today would think it would be anything like what their grandfather drank back in the 70’s. If they did think that…boy are they in for a disappointment!
However, when O.K.I. releases its first Bourbon this Fall, it will be just two years since the Ken Lewis version of O.K.I. put its final whiskey on shelves. From all appearances it seems that the new O.K.I. is practicing the same transparency of information (source, mash bill, aging) as was done in its original iteration. However, less-informed customers may see the O.K.I. name and not realize what they are (or are not) buying. Then we, as the Bourbon consumers will have to decide: is that O.K.?
