Chicken Sandwich Wars...Bourbon Industry Style

Did you know that we are at war?  We are at war across this great nation, a fast-food chicken sandwich war.   You heard that right, there is currently a huge marketing war going on between the major fast food chain restaurants that is based on their signature chicken sandwiches.  Some players have had these sandwiches for years while others have introduced theirs in the past year as an entry to this war.   You are probably asking “what does the chicken sandwich war have to do with the bourbon industry?”.  Great question and the answer is this: nothing, other than I like to correlate pop culture things to the bourbon industry so here you go.  This is my take on bourbon brands reimagined as participants in the chicken sandwich wars.

1. Jim Beam (McDonald’s chicken sandwich):    I think we have to start here.  I think Jim Beam is similar to McDonald’s in any fast-food comparison.  Solid offerings both, nothing extremely expensive and for the most part, extremely available all across the nation.  In a pinch, I would have no issue having Jim Beam or McDonald’s chicken sando but if given the option; would probably choose something else for either.

2. Old Forester (Wendy’s chicken sandwich):  I paired these two together as I think their companies and how they are thought of in their industries are the same.  Wendy’s is a bit more expensive than some of their direct competitors but are also considered better with their offerings.  Old Forester is similar in the bourbon world.  They do not have a $15 shelf offering but their daily offerings are all available, slightly above that price point, and often considered much better quality than others.  To top it off, if you like some spice in your life, you can get the spicy version of Wendy’s chicken sandwich (my favorite) and with Old Forester, you can get 1920 for a higher proof kick.

3. Maker’s Mark (Chik Fil A chicken sandwich): I love this combination. To me, both these companies are laser focused on their core competency. With Chik Fil A, it is the chicken sandwich. For Maker’s it is obviously producing wheated bourbon. Although recently both companies have introduced variants to their “menus”, for the most part they have stayed the course. Both companies are extremely customer service focused and oriented. Both companies produce tasty, solid offerings for a reasonable price. Hell, both have been brazen over the years with their advertising and the way they run their companies.

4. MGP (Church’s Chicken sandwich) :  I have paired these two together for a simple reason.  I have no idea what the hype is behind these two.  I have not run across many Church’s Chicken restaurant’s but I have had this sandwich one time.  It was good, it did the trick but was it amazing?  Nope.  Was it available?  Sure.  MGP sourced whiskey ends up the same for me.  Does MGP make good whiskey?   Yes.  Is it crazy good?  Not in my opinion.  There is a little cult following for both that I simply will never understand.

5. Wild Turkey (KFC chicken sandwich) :  I like this pairing.  Both are legacy brands, rooted deep in Kentucky and can be found throughout the world.  Outside of Jack Daniels and Jim Beam, there is probably no other bourbon brand that is as worldly known than Wild Turkey.  The same can be said of KFC as well.  People worldwide know the Colonel.  Both the Wild Turkey and KFC chicken sandwich are tasty and a great value.  Both are very underrated in their field.

6. Willett (Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich) :  There may not be any two products that have a bigger cult following in their respective field than these two.  Popeyes’s chicken sandwich has a huge fast-food cult following.  For a lot of people, there is nothing other than this item they will order from the menu.  Willett Family Estate bourbon have a very strong cult following in the bourbon world.  People travel the country to purchase single barrel picks.  Some of the well-aged offerings (all are MGP or HH sourced) retrieve $600-$4,000 per within this community.  The area these two are most similar: availability.  I have been to Popeye’s more than 5 times to grab one of these damn chicken sandwiches, only to find out they are out.  Willet is famous for this as well.  From their gift shop (which they simply do not offer bottles through the shop anymore) to liquor stores to single barrel picks; they simply cannot be had.

I know, there are more chicken sandwiches out there, but I simply chose to use the ones I have had recently.