The Detroit News and Detroit City Distillery cheers 150 years with single barrel bourbon

May 20, 2023

The Dec. 6, 1933, issue of The Detroit News was one of many historic front pages that will live on, not only as a remembrance of the ratification of the 21st amendment the day before, but because a replica of the cover hangs in the paper's downtown offices.

Now, the black-and-white banner proclaiming "PROHIBITION OUT" is also the backdrop to a special collaboration between The Detroit News and Eastern Market's Detroit City Distillery. The Detroit News 150th single barrel bourbon whiskey will go on sale at 8 a.m. June 9 with a limited run of only 250 bottles. A public party will follow that afternoon at the distillery's tasting room bar.

The clear glass bottle features a special label commemorating the partnership on the front with a gold wax top and the historic front page viewable through the deep amber, 100-proof spirit. For bourbon aficionados, history buffs or news enthusiasts, it's quite the treasure.

The collectible bottles are $150 each, with $100 donated to the Rosa L. Parks Scholarship Foundation and CATCH, a nonprofit benefiting children at Henry Ford Hospitals. The Rosa L. Parks Scholarship Foundation has given more than $2 million in college scholarships to more than 1,000 Michigan high school seniors since 1980 and is sponsoring four interns at The News this summer. The Detroit News is not collecting any profits from these bottles.

Michael Forsyth, co-founder of Detroit City Distillery, said the partnership is an honor.

"It's a little bit more expensive, but you get an amazing bottle of bourbon, you get a historical artifact and then you get to support two awesome charities," he said. "Our tagline, 'taste of history, toast to revival,' it doesn't get any better than this, celebrating the past of the city with something new ... The News team picked out a really excellent barrel."

The barrel was chosen by newsroom leaders at Detroit City Distillery's Whiskey Factory on St. Patrick's Day 2023.

The made-from-scratch bourbon, crafted at Detroit City Distillery, has Michigan roots, city pride and is steeped in history. Their Butcher's Cut Bourbon is a double gold medal awarded spirit, and the batch of it for The Detroit News sesquicentennial was aged four years and three months in a white American oak barrel.

The day the bottles go on sale, The Detroit News and Detroit City Distillery will host a party at the distillery's Eastern Market tasting room bar at 2462 Riopelle. Those who snagged a bottle online that morning can pick theirs up, and any remaining bottles will be available for purchase.

No purchase required to attend the free party, which will have cocktails made with DCD's award-winning Butcher's Cut Bourbon, nonalcoholic drinks and food for sale from Detroit restaurant Marrow. Come mix and mingle with staff members and view Detroit News historic artifacts and photos on display. The Detroit News' blend of Detroit Bold coffee will also be for sale at the party.

More:The Detroit News, Detroit Bold Coffee Co. team up for 150th anniversary blend

During a tasting of the finished, bottled product last week with Detroit News and DCD staff, the bourbon was described as having notes of honey, butterscotch, cinnamon, fruit, leather and oak.

"It's incredibly smooth," said editorial page editor Nolan Finley. "This is good. It finishes pretty strong, a lot of cinnamon on the end and extraordinarily smooth bourbon for 100 proof."

"Definitely honey on the nose," said Forsyth, adding the cinnamon or peppery finish is one of their signatures. "The rye spice at the end, that's a DCD bourbon signature because we use a higher percentage of rye, we use really amazing rye from Michigan."

4 p.m. June 9

Detroit City Distillery Tasting Room

2462 Riopelle, Detroit

Free admission

Pick up your pre-ordered bottles, enjoy cocktails and mingle with Detroit News staff

Bottles go on sale for $150 at 8 a.m. June 9 at detroitcitydistillery.com/shop

Proceeds benefit the Rosa L. Parks Scholarship Foundation and CATCH (Caring Athletes Team for Children's and Henry Ford Hospitals)

Staff writer Sarah Rahal contributed

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Twitter: @melodybaetens