DEERFIELD, IL--(Marketwire - Sep 10, 2012) - Who says you have to wait another 180 days to enjoy the Spirit of Ireland? The Irish certainly don't! On September 17, Ireland's best-kept secret, Kilbeggan® Irish Whiskey, will kick-off what is sure to be the most entertaining event this side of Dublin: Halfway Day™ -- a celebration of the halfway mark to St. Patrick's Day 2013. With one week left to spread the word about this critically important holiday, Kilbeggan partnered with Funny Or Die to release a video announcing the arrival of Halfway Day™ and encouraging fans to show their Irish pride.
FACTS TO USE AT THE BAR
- Kilbeggan® Irish Whiskey is meticulously crafted at the world's oldest operating Irish distillery, using a blend of the finest hand-selected grain and barley that is double-distilled in a 180-year-old pot still to produce a smooth and flavorful whiskey.
- Kilbeggan® Irish Whiskey is exceptionally versatile. Its high malt content and double-distillation creates a highly approachable whiskey that can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks or with water (to taste) as well as makes an excellent ingredient for cocktails.
- According to the Distilled Spirits Council, Irish Whiskey was the fastest-growing category in the United States in 2011, with a 23.6% increase in sales volume.
UNLEASH THE SUSPENSE
Kilbeggan partnered with comedy website and digital studio, Funny Or Die, to produce an exclusive, suspense-filled video trailer in hopes of helping the country uncover the mystery surrounding this holiday phenomenon. To view the video, visit HalfwayDayMovie.com.
Keeping with the rumored Irish tradition, it is said that those who share this video with friends may earn themselves the "gift of gab" -- as they would by kissing Ireland's famed Blarney Stone. Try it out, and see if the legend is true.
SEE YOU AT THE LOCAL PUB
For those looking to throw on some green and join the festivities, Kilbeggan is hosting Halfway Day™ events in major cities across the country, including Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco. At participating locations, consumers can capture their Halfway Day™ memories with the "Kilbeggan Cam" and have the opportunity to enjoy a game of Kil-Bimini -- an exciting ring toss competition challenging players to test the luck of the Irish. Fans are encouraged to keep up with the action live on Twitter using hashtag #KilBimini.
For more details, visit Facebook.com/KilbegganIrishWhiskey.
COCKTAILS TO FILL YOUR GLASS "HALFWAY DAY™" FULL
For those who would like to host their own Halfway Day™ celebrations, Kilbeggan has created some delicious cocktail recipes to help bring a little piece of Ireland to any get together:
Kilbeggan® Irish Breakfast Shot
- 1/2 part Kilbeggan® Irish Whiskey
- 1/2 part DeKuyper® Buttershots® Liqueur
- 1 part Orange Juice
- 1 slice of Bacon
To Serve: Enjoy the Kilbeggan® Irish Whiskey and DeKuyper® Buttershots® Liqueur followed immediately by the orange juice. Finish with a slice of bacon.
Kilbeggan® Dubliner
- 3 parts Kilbeggan® Irish Whiskey
- 2 parts Sweet Vermouth
- 1 1/2 parts Cherry Syrup
- 1 1/2 parts Cranberry Juice
- Dash Simple Syrup (optional)
To Serve: Combine all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake for 60 seconds. Strain neat into a martini glass. Garnish with a black cherry.
As always, Kilbeggan® Irish Whiskey encourages consumers to enjoy responsibly.
OUR "GAB"
"We're tired of our fans having to wait an entire year between each St. Patrick's Day. As one of Ireland's best-kept secrets, we're encouraging consumers to say enough is enough! Put your favorite green shirt to use now, grab a glass of Kilbeggan and join us in celebrating all things Irish on Halfway Day." -- Bob Gorman, Director of Marketing World Whiskies at Beam Inc.
"Working with Kilbeggan to help announce Halfway Day was a great fit for our creative team and they have been such a great brand to work with as far as thinking out-of-the-box to come up with a great video concept that speaks to the right audience. Halfway Day in itself is a great idea, so it was fun for our team to support the campaign doing what we do best." -- Chris Bruss, VP of Branded Entertainment for Funny Or Die.
For more information on Kilbeggan® Irish Whiskey and Halfway Day™, visit Facebook.com/KilbegganIrishWhiskey.
About Beam Inc.
As one of the world's leading premium spirits companies, Beam is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker's Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Pinnacle Vodka, Canadian Club Whisky, Courvoisier Cognac, Teacher's Scotch Whisky, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Knob Creek Bourbon, Laphroaig Scotch Whisky, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, EFFEN Vodka, Pucker Flavored Vodka, Larios Gin, Whisky DYC, DeKuyper Cordials, and Skinnygirl Cocktails. Beam is focused on delivering superior performance with its unique combination of scale with agility and a strategy of Creating Famous Brands, Building Winning Markets and Fueling Our Growth. Beam and its 3,200 passionate associates worldwide generated 2011 sales of $2.8 billion, volume of 34 million 9-liter cases and some of the industry's fastest growing innovations.
Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEAM and is included in the S&P 500 Index and the MSCI World Index. For more information on Beam, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.
Enjoy Responsibly
Kilbeggan® Blended Irish Whiskey 40% Alc./Vol. ©2012 Kilbeggan Distilling Import Company, Deerfield, IL
All trademarks are property of their respective owners.
